e-ISSN: 2582-5208

International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science

( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
OPTIMIZATION OF FDM PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR TENSILE STRENGTH
OF PLA SPECIMENS USING TAGUCHI DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS
Mr. G. Gopinath*1, Mr. S. Sai Krishna*2, Mr. K. Dinesh Kumar*3, Mr. M. Vasu*4,
Mr. U. Nagaraju*5
*1Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, J.B. Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Hyderabad, Telangana
*2,3,4,5B. Tech Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, J.B. Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Hyderabad, Telangana
DOI : https://www.doi.org/10.56726/IRJMETS53741
ABSTRACT
Three-dimensional printing or 3D Printing is one of the revolutionary machines in addictive manufacturing
techniques to create three-dimensional objects with complex structures. Until now there are many techniques
in 3D printing, one of which is Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), which is currently widely used because of its
ease and low operational costs.
However, in the printing process, there are important things that must receive attention, namely the process
parameters. Because this is what really determines the quality of the printout. Fused Deposition Modeling
(FDM) is the most economical Additive Manufacturing (AM) technology available for fabricating complex part
geometries. However, the involvement of numerous control process parameters and dimensional instabilities
are challenges of FDM.
Among all 3D printing techniques, fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a low-cost and more rapid printing
technique. Excellent mechanical properties are the only indicator to judge the quality of the functional parts.
The mechanical properties of FDM-processed parts depend on various process parameters. These parameters
are layer thickness, orientation, infill density, number of shells, printing temperature, build plate temperature,
printing speed, and fan speed.
Tensile strength and Printing times are chosen as evaluation indexes to ascertain the mechanical properties of
poly-lactic acid (PLA) parts printed by FDM. The experiments have performed through Taguchi's L09
orthogonal array (OA). Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) ascertains the significance of the process parameters and
their percent contributions to the evaluation indexes. MINITAB statistical software package will be used for
data analysis, statistical process improvement, and quality control .
The obtained optimum condition is Layer thickness 0.15mm, Printing temperature 200 °C , Infill density 40% ,
Infill pattern – Octet consists of highest tensile strength i.e 13.9833 N/mm2
Keywords: FDM, Vertcal Printing , Process Parameters, Taguchi technique, Minitab software, Anova , Tensile
strength, Optimum condition.
I. INTRODUCTION
Additive manufacturing, particularly Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), has emerged as a revolutionary
technology in the field of manufacturing, offering unparalleled flexibility and efficiency in producing three-
dimensional objects.
FDM involves layer-by-layer deposition ofthermoplastic materials to construct intricate geometries, making it a
popular choice for rapid prototyping and small-scale production. As the demand for high-performance and
precision-engineered components continues to grow, optimizing the FDM process parameters becomes
imperative. Polylactic Acid (PLA), a biodegradable and bioactive thermoplastic, has gained prominence as a
widely used material in FDM due to its environmental sustainability and ease of use.
However, achieving the desired mechanical properties in printed PLA specimens necessitates a meticulous
exploration and adjustment of the numerous process parameters involved in FDM.

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
II. PROCESS PARAMETERS
The quality of parts produced by FDM process mainly depends on the selection of process parameters. The
present research work consists of process parameters such as layer thickness, infill density and speed of
deposition, etc.
Important process parameters that show impact on the output are Layer thickness , Infill pattern ,Infill density ,
Printing temperature , Printing speed , Build orientation , Extrusion and bed temperature , Raster width and
angle etc…
PLA MATERIAL:
Polylactic Acid, commonly known as PLA, is one of the most popular materials used in desktop 3D printing. It is
the default filament of choice for most extrusion-based 3D printers because it can be printed at a low
temperature and does not require a heated bed. PLA is a great first material to use as you are learning about 3D
printing because it is easy to print, very inexpensive, and creates parts that can be used for a wide variety of
applications. It is also one of the most environmentally friendly filaments.
PLA prints typically in the range between 180 to 220 °C. Some recommend starting around 200 °C and
adjusting up or down as needed. It doesn’t require a heated bed, but if your printer does have one, set it
somewhere between 20 and 60 °C. You may be able to go up to 70 °C, but avoid higher temperatures. When
printing with PLA, be sure to keep cooling fans on.
Table-1 Properties of polylactic acid
Property Value
Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT) 126 °F (52 °C)
Density 1.24 g/cm³
Tensile Strength 50 MPa
Flexural Strength 80 MPa
Impact Strength (Unnotched) IZOD (J/m) 96.1
Shrink Rate 0.37-0.41% (0.0037-0.0041 in/in)

III. LITERATURE SURVEY

In the previous work the carbon fibre reinforced PLA specimens are 3D printed in FDM machine by selecting
the process parameters. The research is focused to obtain the desired tensile strength of carbon fibre reinforced
PLA thermoplastics by optimizing the various machine parameters as per the guidelines of Taguchi L9
experimental design and optimization technique. The optimum tensile strength is obtained as 21.961 MPa when
the process parameters infill density 80%, print speed 80 mm/sec and layer height 100m with the maximum
desirability function of 0.77. The results may be useful in selecting the working ranges for 3D printing of PLA
thermoplastics for various applications.
It was found out that the use of layer thickness 0.25 mm, the orientation of 0 degrees, and infill of 100% are
suggested in order to find the good strength for three-dimensional printing (3D printing) fused deposition
modelling (FDM).Based on the result, it shows that the infill is the most significant factors that affect the strength
of the three-dimensional printing (3D printing) fused deposition modelling (FDM) process followed by
orientation and the layer thickness.
In the previous work it is observed that the printing process is done by considering three levels for each
parameter and a full factorial design of experiments are conducted. The tensile test data is analysed by
conducting ANOVA and results indicate that the interactions between layer thickness-infill pattern, and infill
pattern-extrusion temperature have significant effect on tensile strength.
The highest tensile strength of 26.59 MPa is obtained for a layer thickness of 0.1 mm, extrusion temperature of
225 C and cubic infill pattern.

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[7287]
 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
IV. METHODOLOGY AND EXPERIMENT SET UP
The impacts of significant factors, such as layer thickness, printing temperature, infill density, and infill pattern,
were going to examine in this research using the Taguchi technique.
Table 2. Process parameters
S.No Layer thickness (mm) (A) Printing temperature (B) Infill density (%) (C) Infill pattern (D)
1 0.1 2000 20 Tri-hexagon

2 0.15 2100 30 Octet pattern

3 0.2 2200 40 Gyroid

The table above lists the parameters of the chosen procedure and their corresponding levels. This study
examines the effects of variables including layer thickness, printing temperature, infill density, and printing
pattern on the mechanical characteristics.
4.1-selection of orthogonal array:
The parameters of the selected method are listed together with their appropriate levels in the table above. The
mechanical properties (tensile strength) of specimens created via 3D printing are examined in this research in
relation to a number of different factors, such as layer thickness, printing temperature, infill density, and
printing pattern.
Number of control factors = 4
Number of levels for each control factors = 3
Over all mean =1
Total degrees of freedom of factors = 4x(3-1)=8
Number of experiments to be conducted (8+1) =9.
Based on these values and the required minimum number of experiments to be conducted are9, the nearest O.A
fulfilling this condition is L_09 (3^4 ). It can support up to 9 different experiments and a maximum of 4 different
control variables, each at three levels. Four control elements must be accommodated at three levels in this case,
which is simple to achieve usingthis O.A.
Table 3. The L9 orthogonal array with parameters values
Experiment Layer thickness (mm) Printing temperature Infill density(%) Infill pattern(D)
No. (A) (B) (C)
1 0.1 2000 20 Tri-hexagon

2 0.1 2100 30 Octet pattern

3 0.1 2200 40 Gyroid

4 0.15 2000 30 Gyroid

5 0.15 2100 40 Tri-hexagon

6 0.15 2200 20 Octet pattern

7 0.2 2000 40 Octet pattern

8 0.2 2100 20 Gyroid

9 0.2 2200 30 Tri-hexagon

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
V. PROCEDURE FOR PRINTING
For printing, there are a few steps. To print the thing, you must first develop a computer model of it. Use
computer-aided design software, such as AutoCAD, 3DS Max, etc., to create it. The object file has to be updated
once it is generated. There are multiple curves in the object file. Direct printing of curves by the printer is not
possible. To create STL (Stereo lithography) files, the curves must be transformed. All of the curves are
eliminated during the STL file format conversion and are replaced with linear forms. The file must then be
divided layer by layer. To match the resolution of the 3D printer we are utilizing, the layer thickness was
selected in this manner. There are several websites that are hosted by 3D printing firms that are accessible if
you are unable to sketch items in CAD software. These websites make it easier to create 3D objects. The sliced
file is processed, and the unique coordinates are produced. A controller mayuse these coordinates to process the
necessary signal to send to the motor running the extruder.This layer-by-layer method produces a whole entity.
Design using CAD
A 3D surface geometry is represented by a triangle in an STL file. The surface is rationally tessellated into a
collection of triangles with orientated faces. The unit outward normal and three points given in
counterclockwise sequence, which represent the triangle's vertices, are used to characterize each facet. The size
of the facets is determined by the tolerance regulating the quality of the surface representation in terms of the
distance of the facets from the surface, whilst the aspect ratio and orientation of individual facets are controlled
by the curvature of the surface. The intended application of the generated STL file has a significant impact on
the tolerance selection.

Figure 1: Tensile specimen

Table-4 : Factor information
Factor Type Levels Values
Layer thickness fixed 3 0.10,0.15,0.2
Printing temperature fixed 3 200,210,220
Infill density fixed 3 20,30,40
Infill pattern fixed 3 Gyroid , Octet, Tri-hexagon

Figure 2. specimens after Tensile strength

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
Table 5 .Tensile strength values
Layer Printing Infill Infill Tensile strength SNRA Mean
thickness temperatur density pattern (N/mm2) Tensile
(mm) e(°C) (%) strength
Trail 1 Trail 2
(N/mm2)
0.1 200 20 Tri- 10.64 10.80 20.60317 10.72
hexago
n
0.1 210 30 Octet 12.90 12.72 22.15034 12.81
0.1 220 40 Gyroid 11.39 11.45 21.15323 11.42
0.15 200 30 Gyroid 13.30 13.60 22.57283 13.45
0.15 210 40 Tri- 12.53 12.61 21.98657 12.57
hexago
n
0.15 220 20 Octet 11.05 9.95 20.38802 10.50
0.2 200 40 Octet 13.41 13.01 22.41507 13.21
0.2 210 20 Gyroid 10.46 10.26 20.30598 10.36
0.2 220 30 Tri- 10.78 10.48 20.52807 10.63
hexago
n
Table 6. Response table for means
Level Layer thickness Printing temperature Infill density Infill pattern
1 11.65 12.46 10.53 11.74
2 12.17 11.91 12.30 12.17
3 11.40 10.85 12.40 11.31
delta 0.77 1.61 1.87 0.87
rank 4 2 1 3

VI. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The larger – the – better sort of quality characterristic has been chosen for the response because the
performance qualities of tensile strength must be maximized.
Optimization of process parameters for Tensile strength: In order to boost the Tensile strength for better
performance Taguchi’s robust design technique has been effectively used to determine the ideal process
parameters from chosen process parameters and their levels . The ideal process parameters were discovered
after data from the resilient design tests were analyzed.
Table 7. Optimum parameters for tensile strength
Layer thickness (LT) 0.15 mm
Printing temperature (PT) 200 °C
Infill density (ID) 40%
Infill pattern (IP) Octet

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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
Factor response plot for performance characteristics:
The level of the parameter with the highest S/N ratio is the optimal level . The individual factors effect on
Tensile strength has found to be significant Infill density (ID) has a major contribution of 50.59% followed by
Printing temperature - 30.58% , Infill pattern- 8.56% , Layer thickness- 7.10% .
Table 8. Optimum Process parameters for Tensile strength
Layer thickness Printing Infill density Infill pattern S-N ratio Mean tensile
(mm) temperature (°C) (%) strength(N/mm2)

0.15 200 40 Octet 22.9812 13.9833

Figure 3 . Main effect plots for Tensile strength

Figure 4 .Tensile strength of each specimen

From graphs :
x-axis= factor values
y-axis=Mean Tensile strength
From the graphs it is observed and cleared that experiments 4,7& 2 are having the high mean tensile strength ,
experiments 5, 3& 1 are having moderate mean tensile strength and experiments 6, 8& 9 are having the low
mean tensile strengths.
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 e-ISSN: 2582-5208
International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering Technology and Science
( Peer-Reviewed, Open Access, Fully Refereed International Journal )
Volume:06/Issue:04/April-2024 Impact Factor- 7.868 www.irjmets.com
VII. CONCLUSIONS
• The optimum condition is obtained as layer thickness 0.15mm, printing temp 200 0C, Infill density 40%,
Infill pattern octet Maximum tensile strength is observed as 13.9833 N/mm2.
• The parameters selected for this process are significant.
• The results showed that the part or specimen strength is influenced by the selected process parameters.
• The influence of each individual element on tensile strength was found to be considerable. In the strength
of tensile specimens, Infill density (ID) contributed the most (50.59%), followed by printing
temperature(30.58%) , Infill pattern (8.56%) , Layer thickness (7.10%).
VIII. REFERENCES
[1] Effect of fused deposition machine parameters on tensile strength of printed carbon Fiber reinforced
PLA thermoplastics (2020)
[2] Multi-objective optimization of process parameters of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) for printing
Polylactic Acid (PLA) polymer components (2021)
[3] Influence of fused deposition modelling process parameters on wear strength of carbonfibre PLA (2020)
[4] Tensile property-based Taguchi method of PLA parts fabricated by FDM 3D printing technology (2021)
[5] Textbook of Strength of Materials- By R.K. BANSAL
[6] Effects of Printing Temperature and Filling Percentage on the Mechanical Behavior of Fused Deposition
Molding Technology Components for 3D Printing (2021)

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