Analysis of the surface quality of polycaprolactam 3D prints enriched with carbon and glass fiber

Abstract

Additive manufacturing has been gaining popularity and availability year by year, which has resulted in its dynamic development. The most common 3D printing method as of today, FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling), owing to its peculiarity, does not always guarantee producing objects with low surface roughness. The authors of the present article have taken on the analysis of the impact of FDM printing on the roughness of the filament thus processed. They also investigate the relationship between the roughness of the unprocessed filament (made of polycaprolactam, that is, polyamide 6 or PA6) with admixtures of other materials (carbon fiber, glass fiber) and the surface quality of the manufactured object. The main subject of the analysis is the side surfaces of 3D prints, as it is their quality that is usually directly dependent on many factors connected with the process of the laying of the consecutive layers. The authors check step by step whether there exists a pronounced relationship between the roughness of the original filament material and the roughness of the obtained surface.