Investigation of the Effect of Surface Roughness and Dimensional Accuracy on the Layer Thickness of PLA Parts Produced by the FDM Process

Abstract

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) machines are becoming increasingly popular for producing functioning components. One of the drawbacks of used filament fabrication 3D printers is that the printed part’s surface roughness is excessively rough due to the layer-by-layer deposition of the material. Therefore, it is necessary to verify that the components have a high-quality surface finish and precise dimensions. The purpose of this study is to identify the optimal layer thickness that may be used to manufacture components with both high surface quality and accuracy of dimension. Six different layer thicknesses of FDM were used to manufacture the test parts (0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, 0.3, and 0.35 mm). The optimum layer thickness levels for dimensional accuracy were discovered to be the same as that of surface roughness. The results of the experiment were confirmed by fabricating parts with the optimal layer thickness that had been determined. Reduced printing layers increased the specimens’ surface smoothness. The smaller layer thickness was shown to be required for greater overall dimensional accuracy, according to the findings.