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© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

This study presents a comprehensive techno-economic analysis of PLA materials for fused filament fabrication (FFF) from eight European manufacturers. The comparison involved rigorous experimental assessments of the mechanical properties, dimensional accuracy, and print quality using standardized methods and equipment such as tensile and CT testing. What makes this study unique is the consistent methodology applied, considering factors such as material color, printing temperature, printing orientation, filament diameter, and printer selection, to ensure meaningful and reliable results. Contrary to the common belief that a higher price implies better quality, the study revealed that the second cheapest PLA material achieved the best overall performance within the methodology employed. The study also confirmed certain observations, such as the influence of printing orientation and geometry on dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties, as well as the significant disparities between manufacturer-provided values and actual measured mechanical properties, highlighting the importance of experimental verification. Hence, the findings of this study hold value not only for the scientific community but also for hobbyist printers and beginners in the 3D printing realm seeking guidance in material selection for their projects. Furthermore, the methodology employed in this research can be adapted for evaluating a broad range of other 3D printing materials.

Details

Title
Overview and Comparison of PLA Filaments Commercially Available in Europe for FFF Technology
Author
Andronov, Vladislav 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Beránek, Libor 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Krůta, Vojtěch 1 ; Hlavůňková, Lucie 1 ; Jeníková, Zdeňka 2 

 Department of Machining, Process Planning and Metrology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, The Czech Technical University in Prague, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic; [email protected] (L.B.); [email protected] (V.K.); [email protected] (L.H.) 
 Department of Materials Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, The Czech Technical University in Prague, 160 00 Prague, Czech Republic; [email protected] 
First page
3065
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
20734360
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2843105798
Copyright
© 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.