Analysis of selected mechanical properties of 3D printouts from popular composite materials

This paper presents the results of testing popular composite materials used for FDM printing. The copolymers used for the analysis were acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) and polylactide (PLA). A 3D printer placed in a transparent chamber equipped with electronic probes to record the temperature within the print head, work table, and volume was used to prepare the prints. The 3D model for the study was designed in Autodesk’s Inventor software and a preliminary dynamic simulation of uniaxial tension was performed using the finite element method (FEM). The simulation was used to predict von Mises stresses and strains in the test specimens. The specimens were subjected to static tensile testing on a testing machine and the simulation results were compared with the results of laboratory tests of the printed parts. The research aimed to obtain information on the mechanical properties of selected composite materials intended for use in the construction of components of laboratory bioreactors.