Investigation of the Mechanical Response of Hexagonal Lattice Cylindrical Structure Fabricated with Polylactic Acid 3D Printing

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of printing parameters on the compression properties of hexagonal lattice cylindrical structures (HLCS) manufactured by fused deposition modeling. Polylactic Acid (PLA) was used in producing HLSC. Polylactic Acid (PLA) was used in producing HLSC, and compression tests were performed according to ASTM D695. Wall thickness, printing speed, layer height, and nozzle temperature were selected as printing parameters. Four different levels were determined, and Taguchi experimental design was applied to reduce the number of experiments. Six of each sample were produced and subjected to a compression test. Six different buckling modes were examined in the simulation analysis. Similar buckling results of simulation analysis were obtained with the images obtained after the compression test. Thick specimens showed barrel-like buckling, while thin specimens buckled in different regions. As the wall thickness decreased, more different buckling patterns occurred. Compression forces ranged from 789.95 to 1874.72 N. According to the analysis of variance (ANOVA) results, the most effective parameter was the wall thickness (p < 0.001). Printing speed and layer height have a negligible effect, and nozzle temperature showed no effect. When printing speed and layer height are set to maximum, manufacturing time is halved although compressive strength decreases by 2%. © ASM International 2024.