An experimental study on the role of manufacturing parameters on the dry sliding wear performance of additively manufactured PETG

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a versatile and promising method for rapid prototyping and advanced design applications. Owing to its unique potential for fast production rates, and capacity of creating complex shapes, the number of researches on AM techniques have increased day by day in the technical literature. In this work, contrary to common literature efforts focused on mechanical properties, friction and wear behaviors of additively manufactured PETG samples were analyzed experimentally. As a methodology, fused filament fabrication (FFF) was selected. In order to explore the influence of manufacturing factors on wear properties, layer thickness (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mm), infill rate (40, 60, 80, and 100%), and building direction (vertical and horizontal) were changed. Before the friction tests, dimensional accuracy, hardness, and surface roughness measurements were conducted to interpret better the wear results. In addition, macroscopic and microscopic inspections were performed to determine the correct reason behind the deformation. From the data collected during the tests, there was a positive interaction between volume loss and layer thickness. Besides, there was no direct interaction between infill rate/building direction and coefficient of friction. In comparison with vertically built samples, horizontally built samples were subjected to more plastic deformation, and their worn surfaces were severely damaged.