Dimensional and form errors of PC parts printed via Fused Deposition Modelling

Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is a rapid prototyping technique applied on aerospace and automotive industry. The possibility of getting the final part from a CAD file, the variety of printable polymers with an affordable cost and printed parts with adequate mechanical properties explain the success of FDM. Because of the differences between printers and the large number of FDM parameters, it is necessary to accomplish experimental tests to study the influence of the previous factors in the resulting dimensions and forms. In this work, we study dimensional and form errors of polycarbonate PC test specimens printed in a professional FDM printer, with different input parameters: layer height, support strategy and build direction. According to the experimental tests, form deviations and dimensions depend mainly on orientation, while nozzle diameter influences the in-plane processing accuracy. (C) 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.