Investigation of the mechanical properties of 3D printed hollow parts with finite element analysis
3D-printed parts with hollow cavities can substantially reduce manufacturing costs. However, the introduction of hollow cavities into the structure significantly influences the mechanical performance of 3D-printed components. Finite element analysis (FEA) can assist in developing simulation models t...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Journal of Materials Research and Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2238785425012591 |
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| Summary: | 3D-printed parts with hollow cavities can substantially reduce manufacturing costs. However, the introduction of hollow cavities into the structure significantly influences the mechanical performance of 3D-printed components. Finite element analysis (FEA) can assist in developing simulation models to predict the mechanical properties before physically printing the parts. This allows choosing an appropriate cavity structure and size to print parts with optimised mechanical properties. In this study, FEA models were developed to simulate tensile and bending tests for 3D-printed parts with hollow cavities. The models were validated using experimental data of parts constructed with polylactic acid, and the results confirmed that the models could accurately predict the mechanical properties within the elastic and plastic deformation regions. The Young's modulus, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), flexural modulus, and ultimate flexural strength predicted by the simulation models were within 16 %, 0.2 %, 15 %, and 7 % of the experimentally observed values, respectively, indicating a good level of accuracy. The validated models were then used to predict and compare the mechanical performance of 3D-printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene parts with hexagonal, square, and circular cavity structures with 10 %, 20 %, and 30 % hollowness levels. The hexagonal cavity structure was found to have the best overall mechanical properties, followed by the square structure, with the hexagonal structure exhibiting its highest Young's modulus of 767.4 MPa and the highest UTS of 22.6 MPa at the 30 % and 10 % hollowness levels, respectively. The stiffness of the circular structure was found to decrease with increasing hollowness level, with a 33.3 % drop in stiffness at the 30 % hollowness level, compared to that of the solid sample. However, at the 10 % hollowness level, the circular structure was found to be stiffer in bending than other cavity structures. The findings of this study offer insights into optimising the internal cavity structure and size to enhance the mechanical properties of 3D-printed hollow parts for a given application, which also allows saving material, energy, and time. |
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| ISSN: | 2238-7854 |