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Experimental characterization of the mechanical properties of 3D-printed ABS and polycarbonate parts

Jason T. Cantrell (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Sean Rohde (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
David Damiani (Bartram Trail High School, Saint Johns, Florida, USA)
Rishi Gurnani (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA)
Luke DiSandro (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Josh Anton (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Andie Young (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Alex Jerez (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Douglas Steinbach (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Calvin Kroese (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)
Peter G. Ifju (Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA)

Rapid Prototyping Journal

ISSN: 1355-2546

Article publication date: 20 June 2017

3468

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present the methodology and results of the experimental characterization of three-dimensional (3D) printed acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polycarbonate (PC) parts utilizing digital image correlation (DIC).

Design/methodology/approach

Tensile and shear characterizations of ABS and PC 3D-printed parts were performed to determine the extent of anisotropy present in 3D-printed materials. Specimens were printed with varying raster ([+45/−45], [+30/−60], [+15/−75] and [0/90]) and build orientations (flat, on-edge and up-right) to determine the directional properties of the materials. Tensile and Iosipescu shear specimens were printed and loaded in a universal testing machine utilizing two-dimensional (2D) DIC to measure strain. The Poisson’s ratio, Young’s modulus, offset yield strength, tensile strength at yield, elongation at break, tensile stress at break and strain energy density were gathered for each tensile orientation combination. Shear modulus, offset yield strength and shear strength at yield values were collected for each shear combination.

Findings

Results indicated that raster and build orientations had negligible effects on the Young’s modulus or Poisson’s ratio in ABS tensile specimens. Shear modulus and shear offset yield strength varied by up to 33 per cent in ABS specimens, signifying that tensile properties are not indicative of shear properties. Raster orientation in the flat build samples reveals anisotropic behavior in PC specimens as the moduli and strengths varied by up to 20 per cent. Similar variations were observed in shear for PC. Changing the build orientation of PC specimens appeared to reveal a similar magnitude of variation in material properties.

Originality/value

This article tests tensile and shear specimens utilizing DIC, which has not been employed previously with 3D-printed specimens. The extensive shear testing conducted in this paper has not been previously attempted, and the results indicate the need for shear testing to understand the 3D-printed material behavior fully.

Keywords

Citation

Cantrell, J.T., Rohde, S., Damiani, D., Gurnani, R., DiSandro, L., Anton, J., Young, A., Jerez, A., Steinbach, D., Kroese, C. and Ifju, P.G. (2017), "Experimental characterization of the mechanical properties of 3D-printed ABS and polycarbonate parts", Rapid Prototyping Journal, Vol. 23 No. 4, pp. 811-824. https://doi.org/10.1108/RPJ-03-2016-0042

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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