Effects of the 3DP process parameters on mechanical properties of polylactic acid part used for medical purposes
ISSN: 1355-2546
Article publication date: 24 August 2021
Issue publication date: 3 January 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate effect of infill density, fabricated built orientation and dose of gamma radiation to mechanical tensile and compressive properties of polylactic acid (PLA) part fabricated by fused deposit modelling (FDM) technique for medical applications.
Design/methodology/approach
PLA specimens for tensile and compressive tests were fabricated using FDM machine. The specimens geometry and test method were referred to ASTM D638 and ASTM D695, respectively. Three orientations under consideration were flat, edge and upright, whereas the infill density ranged from 0 to 100%. The gamma radiation dose used to expose to specimens was 25 kGy. The collected data included stress and strain, which was used to find mechanical properties, i.e. yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), fracture strength, elongation at yield, elongation at UTS and elongation at break. The t-test was used to access the difference in mechanical properties.
Findings
Compressive mechanical properties is greater than tensile mechanical properties. Increasing number of layer parallel to loading direction and infill density, it enhances the material property. Upright presents the lowest mechanical property in tensile test, but greatest in compressive test. Upright orientation should not be used for part subjecting to tensile load. FDM is more proper for part subjecting to compressive load. FDM part requires undergoing gamma ray for sterilisation, the infill density no less than 70 and 60% should be selected for part subjecting to tensile and compressive load, respectively.
Originality/value
This study investigated all mechanical properties in both tension and compression as well as exposure to gamma radiation. The results can be applied in selection of FDM parameters for medical device manufacturing.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Thai Summit Plastech Co., Ltd., Thailand, and the Material Testing Center, Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering at Sriracha, Kasetsart University, Thailand for their kind support of research facilities.
Citation
Chaitat, S., Chantarapanich, N. and Wanchat, S. (2022), "Effects of the 3DP process parameters on mechanical properties of polylactic acid part used for medical purposes", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 143-160. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-01-2021-0014
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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