Effect of Build Parameters on Process Energy Consumption and Material Usage in Fused Deposition Modelling Method

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) process is one of popular 3D printing technologies, especially on printing polymer materials for a rapid prototyping. The process is well known for its resource saving, with no tooling cost required and minimum energy demand. However, the challenge is that the process performances are highly influenced by selection of parameters. From literature, consideration on material usage and process energy demand in FDM processes is still limited. This study used an L9 Taguchi orthogonal array design in investigating effect of build orientation, printing speed and layer thickness on process energy consumption and total material usage in FDM processes. The p-values from ANOVA analysis revealed that only layer thickness and build orientation had significant effect on the outputs. In minimising material usage, the strategy is to select the correct build orientation to avoid need of support structure. For reducing energy demand, optimum layer thickness needs to be determined by considering other factors such as mechanical properties and surface roughness. This study provides preliminary findings which will benefit FDM users in using resources efficiently. Further studies are required to complement the findings from the aspects of mechanical and physical properties of the printed products.