Effect of raster and layer characteristics on tensile behavior and failure of FFF printed PLA samples by representative volume element model

In the fused filament fabrication (FFF) based additive manufacturing process, finding optimum printing parameters for achieving the required mechanical properties of the FFF-built part is challenging. In this study, a representative volume element (RVE) based mesoscale approach was developed to describe the influences of printing parameters on the mechanical behaviors of the 3D printed parts. It was shown that the stress-strain curves up to failure obtained from RVE simulations were well verified by experimental tensile test data of printed PLA samples. Then, effective tensile properties of samples manufactured using different raster angles (0°, 45°/−45°, and 90°) and a wide range of layer heights and widths were predicted and correlated with their respective local damage occurrences. The raster angle strongly affected the elastic modulus and tensile strength. The orientation between interlayer voids and loading direction governed local stress distribution, interface failure, and total deformation of FFF samples. An increased layer height and decreased layer width resulted in a more significant fraction of voids between layers and thus lowered stiffness and tensile strength. The introduced RVE model can serve as a simple tool for determining homogenized responses and studying local stress-strain developments and failure of complex printed parts according to the used printing parameters.