A comprehensive investigation of the 3D printing parameters’ effects on the mechanical response of polycarbonate in fused filament fabrication

In this work, Polycarbonate (PC) filament was manufactured and utilized to 3D print tensile test specimens for the optimization of two 3D printing parameters (temperature and layer height) in relation to the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS, σ_b) and the Elastic Modulus (E). First, the general full factorial Design of Experiments (DOE) was followed, and three levels of both the Layer Height (LH) and the Nozzle Temperature (NT) were employed for the experiments. Then, the nine combinations were 3D printed, three times each. The average and the max–min differences (Δσ_b and ΔE) were calculated for both the σ_b and E. Subsequently, Main Effects Plots (MEP), interaction charts, and Analysis of Variances (ANOVA) were utilized to determine the effects of the LH and NT on σ_b, E, Δσ_b, and ΔE. The mechanical response of PC in 3D printing was investigated and the models developed for the two parameters were studied to provide the required scientific information to optimize the process. It was found that both the LH and the NT are essential parameters for determining the mechanical response. LH of 0.2 mm and NT of 270 °C optimized the study objectives, i.e., maximizes the σ_b and E and minimizes the Δσ_b and ΔE.