A comprehensive study on the mechanical qualities of FDM 3D printed coconut wood-polylactic acid composite

Abstract

The field of additive manufacturing is experiencing significant growth, transitioning from primarily serving as a prototyping service to becoming a full-fledged manufacturing service. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) printers have emerged as the predominant 3D printer in the current market landscape, driven by a notable surge in sales. Various industries have widely adopted these processes to manufacture limited quantities of intricate and personalized components. However, finding the optimal process parameters is complex due to inherent conflicts between various factors. One significant drawback of existing literature on selecting the most suitable parameters is the inadequate precision in estimating product quality. In this study, the properties of PLA and PLA/coconut wood (CT.W) are investigated and the appropriate parameters for various mechanical properties are determined. The specimens in this study vary in parameters, including infill pattern (grid, octagram spiral, rectilinear, honeycomb, and concentric) and infill percentage (25%, 50%, and 75%). The findings indicate that PLA and PLA/Ct.W specimens with 75% infill density and concentric infill pattern exhibit higher energy absorption in tensile, flexural, and impact properties. When comparing the properties of the PLA composite, it is observed that they are slightly lower due to the larger size of the coconut wood particles.