Evaluation of the infill design on the tensile properties of metal parts produced by fused filament fabrication
Saleh Atatreh, Mozah Alyammahi, Hayk Vasilyan, Tawaddod Alkindi, Rahmat Agung Susantyoko
Abstract
Additive Manufacturing (AM) applications have expanded significantly from rapid prototyping to high-end products such as complex spare parts. AM has enabled advantages of reduced material usage, geometric freedom, and production automation, shaping the future of the manufacturing industries. With the rapid expansion of AM applications, feedstock materials have developed noticeably, from polymers and ceramics to metals and composites. The progress in metal feedstock material discoveries has empowered the exploration of implementing new AM technologies. Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) is one of the most common and cost-effective material extrusion AM technologies. This study explores the effect of the infill pattern on the tensile mechanical properties of metal parts produced via FFF, using two feedstock materials, 17-PH stainless steel and copper. Two approaches are designed to investigate the results: experimental tensile test, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) with digital twin reconstruction method. Results show that 17-4 PH Stainless Steel samples with a triangular infill exhibited a 42% drop in ultimate tensile strength compared to solid infill. However, it also revealed a 34% reduction in mass, cost saving of 36%, and a faster fabrication with a 25% reduction in lead time. At the same time, copper samples with triangular infill exhibited a 22% drop in ultimate tensile strength and a 12% mass reduction. However, it revealed a similar lead time with only a 3% reduction. A Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to investigate the parts’ internal structure and average pore size, to understand the failure mode of the test specimens.