Effect of build orientation on the strength and cost of PolyJet 3D printed parts
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 5 July 2018
Issue publication date: 20 September 2018
Abstract
Purpose
The main purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of build orientation on the tensile properties of PolyJet 3D printed parts. Effects on manufacturing time and total cost per part are the secondary objectives.
Design/methodology/approach
Solid tensile specimens were prepared as per the American Society for Testing and Materials D638 standards and were manufactured in six different orientations by using the Objet260 Connex 3D printer. VeroWhitePlus RGD835 was used as the build material, with FullCure 705 as the support material. The specimens were tested for their tensile strength and elongation. The side surface and the fracture surface were analyzed using the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope-SIGMA HV-Carl Zeiss with Bruker Quantax 200-Z10 EDS detector. Scanning electron microscope images of each surface were obtained at various magnifications.
Findings
From the study, it can be concluded that build orientation has an influence on the tensile strength and the manufacturing cost of the parts. The microstructural analysis revealed that the orientation of surface cracks/voids may be the reason for the strength.
Originality/value
From literature survey, it is inferred that this study is sure to be among the first few under this topic. These results will help engineers to decide upon the right build orientations with respect to print head so that parts with better mechanical properties can be manufactured.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support for establishing the Centre of Excellence in Manufacturing Sciences at Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, India from Ministry of Human-Resource Development (MHRD), under the project Frontier Areas in Science and Technology (FAST), Government of India.
Citation
Das, S.C., Ranganathan, R. and N., M. (2018), "Effect of build orientation on the strength and cost of PolyJet 3D printed parts", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 24 No. 5, pp. 832-839. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-08-2016-0137
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited