The Influence of 3D Printing Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Reinforced PLA – A Review

Abstract Due to the multiple advantages of 3D printing, it is used in many industrial fields, from robotics to the food industry, from the automotive industry to the aerospace industry. The results in the paper refer to parts obtained by 3D printing (longitudinal and transverse) from PLA reinforced with wood fibers of 100%, 200% and 300% widths compared to the parts obtained by pressing. The behavior of reinforced parts of the PLA with wood fibers and a bio-additive were also studied. There were no noticeable differences in tensile strength when printing in the transverse direction from the parts obtained by pressing, and in the case of longitudinal printing the behavior is similar. Instead, there is a significant decrease in traction resistance to transverse printing compared to the longitudinal one. The variation in the width of the printed part influences the mechanical behavior in the sense that in the parts printed at 0° a more ductile behavior was recorded with its increase. The adhesion between wood fibers and matrix can be improved using a bioamide, and the addition of only 1.3% of the bio-additive led to an increase in traction resistance due to improved adhesion between wood fibers. There was also a slight increase in the rigidity of the parts due to the increase in Young’s module. The impact resistance was much higher in the case of notchless sample because, as is natural, they can absorb more energy compared to notched sample.