Effect of printing orientation on mechanical properties of SLA 3D‐printed photopolymer

Abstract

Herein, we conducted tensile and fracture tests on a photopolymer produced with a stereolithography apparatus (SLA), utilizing dog‐bone and semi‐circular bending specimens fabricated in five different orientations. The analysis revealed a direct linear correlation between the tensile strength and printing orientation, highlighting a decrease in tensile strength with an increase in orientation angle. Young's modulus of the printed material remained insensitive to the printing orientation. Conversely, fracture toughness demonstrated a distinct cubic polynomial relationship with the printing orientation. The equivalent material concept in conjunction with the maximum tangential stress criterion was used to predict the fracture behavior of SLA printed polymer. This research sheds light on the significant effect of printing orientation on the mechanical properties of SLA printed materials, offering pivotal insights for optimizing SLA printing across various applications and catalyzing progress in this research field.