Feasibility study of FDM 3D printing fabrication process for customized automotive front grille

In recent years, many automakers starting to adopt 3D printing technologies in producing functional end parts. In line with the industrial revolution (IR4.0), this technology plays a significant role in improving the component's cost efficiency, especially in the low volume market. Nevertheless, these technologies facing several challenges such as surface quality and dimensional accuracy that hinder their progress. A feasibility study was conducted to investigate the influence of process parameters on the surface finish and dimensional accuracy when producing automotive component. The automotive front grille component has been chosen as a case study, and Full factorial design (FFF) optimisation approach was employed to the part fabricated by FDM 3D Printing technology to improve the surface finish dimensional accuracy of the parts. Based on the results, layer height and infill percentage are the most significant factors in the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the 3D printed part. Findings from this research show that process parameters optimisation improves dimensional accuracy, but post-processing is still required to enhance the part's surface finish.