Performance Evaluation of a Commercial 3D Printer that Uses Fused Filament Deposition Technology

Since 3D printer home and industrial applications have increased in the last years, the need for a reliable tool to evaluate 3D printer capabilities has become necessary. A DOE was performed to determine the optimum parameters for dimensional accuracy and finished surface on printed pieces on a commercial 3D printer that uses fused filament deposition technique (FDM) with polylactic acid (PLA) as print material. A 3D digital model with geometric internal and external features was generated with a CAD software; this model was used to print two sets of physical samples, one set with the 3D printer adjusted according to DOE optimal settings results and the other set with the manufacturer recommended setup. Measurement system analysis bias was applied to evaluate the dimensional and geometrical performance of the 3D printer for each set. Samples were measured and compared against dimensional specifications on the drawing. No evidence of works related to the finished surface or geometrical analysis was found in the literature reviewed about 3D printed models. Finished surface was evaluated, and it was found that roughness depends mainly on the layer thickness of lateral walls of the piece, while on the upper face, the infill density has a major influence on the finished part. Most geometries and dimensions were rejected according to bias criteria, and no significant difference was found between both evaluated setups, so the printed models should be used only where dimensional accuracy is not critical. MSA bias can be used as an alternative method to make a dimensional and geometrical evaluation of printed models on 3D printers.