MECHANICAL BEHAVIOUR OF SMALL LOAD BEARING STRUCTURES FABRICATED BY 3D PRINTING

Abstract

3D printing is state‐of‐the‐art manufacturing technology. In addition to prototyping, the development of this technology allows the parts produced by this technology to be used as fully functional assemblies. There are different 3D printing technologies (Fused Deposition Modeling, FDM, Selective Laser Sintering, SLS, Stereolithography, SLA and others), and different materials can be used (polymer filaments, polymer and composite powders for sintering, photopolymers). This paper presents the process of design and fabrication of small load bearing structures by FDM and verification of its mechanical properties, by using three point bending test. The printing parameters and setup of the three‐point bending test were analysed from aspects of flexural strength and final bending angle that was determined experimentally and by calculation.

Keywords

• Three‐point bending test
• bearing structure
• PLA
• FDM
• 3D printing
• mechanical analyze