Significance of Infill Density on Mechanical Performance in Fused Deposition Modeling

¹ Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology, Topi 23640, Pakistan
² State Key Laboratory of Tribology Department of Mechanical Engineering Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 People’s Republic of China

^* Corresponding Author: Muhammad Qasim Zafar (muhammadqasimzafar@gmail.com)

Abstract

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a widely employed additive manufacturing (AM) technique owing to its affordability and availability of equipment and materials. Polylactic Acid (PLA) is one of the most widely used materials due to its low cost, good mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. Mechanical performance is significantly influenced by FDM printing parameters. One of the most critical parameters that affect mechanical properties is infill density. In this study, standardized tests are used to ensure rigorous evaluations of the effects of different infill densities on PLA mechanical properties. Tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength are all considered in a comprehensive analysis. Results are then systematically compared with those of other commonly used FDM filaments, such as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and High-density Polyethylene (HDPE). Through a rigorous experimental trial, we can analyze the effect of infill density on mechanical performance in FDM printing using PLA, ABS, and HDPE.