KARNATAK LAW SOCIETY’S

GOGTE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

UDYAMBAG, BELAGAVI-590008
(An Autonomous Institution under Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belagavi)
(APPROVED BY AICTE, NEW DELHI)

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Project Report on
EVALUATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF 3D PRINTED
POLYMER COMPOSITES WITH NANO FILLERS
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Engineering
in
Mechanical Engineering

Submitted by
Anand K Mantur 2GI19ME014
Ashok Rathod 2GI19ME024
Ashok S Kumbar 2GI19ME025
Gangadhar Badiger 2GI19ME041

Guide Co- Guide

Dr. Manjunath G. A. Dr. Shivakumar S

2022 – 2023
 KARNATAK LAW SOCIETY'S
GOGTE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
UDYAMBAG, BELAGAVI-590008
(An Autonomous Institution under Visvesvaraya Technological University. Belagavi)
(APPROVED BY AICTE, NEW DELHI)
Department of Mechanical Engineering

CERTIFICATE

Certitied that the project entitled EVALUATINGTHE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES

OF3D PRINTED POLY MER COMPOSITES WITHNANO FILLERS carried out by
Mr. Anand K. Mantur USN 2GI19MEO14, student of KLS Gogte Institute of Technology.
Belagavi. can be considered as a bonafide work for partial fulfillment for the award of
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering of the Visvesvaraya Technological
University. Belagavi during the year 2022- 2023

It is certified that allcorrections/suggestions indicated have been incorporated in the report.

The project report has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements prescribed for
the said Degree.

Guide Co-Guide HOD Principal

Dr. Manjunath G. A. Dr. Shivakumar S. Dr. H.B. Kulkarni Prof. D. A. Kulkarni
Final Viva-Voce

Date ofViva-
Name of the Examiners
VOce Signature
1.D V.klan 13)4|23
 DECLARATION BY THE STUDENT(S)

I/We, Anand K Mantur, Ashok Rathod, Ashok S Kumbar, Gangadhar Badiger hereby declare
that the project report entitled submitted by me/us to KLS Gogte Institute of Technology,
Belagavi, in partial fulfillment of the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical
Engineering is a record of the project carried out at KLS Gogte Institute of Technology
Belagavi. This report is for the academic purpose.

I/We further declare that the report has not been submitted and will not be submitted, either in
part or full, to any other institution and University for the award of any diploma or degree.

Name of the student USN

Anand K Mantur 2GI19ME014

Ashok Rathod 2GI19ME024

Ashok S Kumbar 2GI19ME025

Gangadhar Badiger 2GI19ME041

Place: Belagavi
Date: 13/06/2023
 ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Any achievement does not depend solely on individual efforts but the guidance,
encouragement, and cooperation of intellectuals, elders, and friends. Some personalities, in
their capacities, have helped us in carrying out this project work. We would like to take this
opportunity to thank them all.

First and foremost, we would like to thank Dr. Manjunath G. A , Dr. Shivakumar S our
project guide. We thank him a lot for the guidance and cooperation which he provided
throughout the journey.

We would like to convey our heartfelt thanks to projecting coordinator Dr. A.V. Kulkarni,
Head of the Department Dr. H. B. Kulkarni and Principal for allowing us to work on this
topic.

We thank all the faculty members and Technical/Administrative Staff of the Department of
Mechanical Engineering for constant support and encouragement.

We would also like to thank each and every one of those who have helped us in this endeavour.

Last, but not least, we would like to thank our parents and friends who provided us with
valuable suggestions to improve our project.
 CONTENTS

Title page

Certificate

Abstract i
Acknowledgement ii
Declaration iii

Contents iv

List of Figures vi
List of Tables vii
Nomenclature viii

Chapters

1. Introduction 1-3
1.1 Introduction 3
Objective 3
2. Literature Review 4-7
3. Methodology 8
3.1 FDM Process 9

3.2 Taguchi Design 12

3.3 Universal Testing Machine 13
14
3.4 Steps Involved in 3D Printing
 3.5 Preparation of Composite Filament 15

3.6 3D Model of Sample 16

3.7 Slicing of 3D Model 16

3.8 Printing of Samples according to experiment table 17

4. Results and Discussions 21-31

5. Application of PLA-reinforced Bamboo Composites Polymer

31

6. Conclusion 33

References 34-35
 LIST OF FIGURES

Fig. No. Particulars Page No.

3.1 Working of FDM Printer 8

3.2 UTM 12

3.3 Process of 3D Printing 16

3.4 Twin Screw extruder is used to prepare the composite filament 14

3.5 Specimen Model 18

Slicing the 3D Model into layers in Slicing Software: Cura

3.6 15
Software

3.7 3D printer used for preparation of samples 16

3.8 3D printer used for preparation of samples 16

Samples Printed According to Design of Experiments before

3.9 17
load

4.1 Tested samples after application of load 21

4.2 Elongation of tested specimens 22

4.3 Max. Stress plots of samples 23

4.4 Ultimate Tensile Strength plots of samples 24

4.5 Mean SN plots using Minitab 25

4.6 Load v/s Length for L1 sample 26

4.7 Load v/s Length for L2 sample 26

4.8 Load v/s Length for L3 sample 27

4.9 Load v/s Length for L4 sample 27

4.10 Load v/s Length for L5 sample 28

4.11 Load v/s Length for L6 sample 28

4.12 Load v/s Length for L3 sample 29

4.13 Load v/s Length for L3 sample 29

4.14 Load v/s Length for L3 sample 30

 LIST OF TABLES

Table No. Particulars Page No.

2.1 Mechanical properties required for input for a successful 4

FEA analysis.

3.1 Physical and Mechanical Characteristics of Bamboo Fiber 10

3.2 Physical and Mechanical Properties of PLA 10

3.3 Standard Samples as per ASTM standards 11

3.4 Taguchi Method Using Minitab 18

3.5 L9 Orthogonal Array 19

21
4.1 Tested results obtained using Taguchi Method
 NOMENCLATURE

N : Newton

Rpm : Rotations per minute

mm : Millimetre

gm : Gram

Kg/m3 : Kilo gram per metre cube

MPa : Mega Pascal

mm/s : Millimetre per Second

KN/m : Kilo Newton per Metre

N/mm2 : Newton per millimetre square

:
 EVALUATING THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF 3D PRINTED POLYMER
COMPOSITES WITH NANO FILLERS

ABSTRACT
Additive manufactured composite material is widely utilized in the industry sectors due
to ease of manufacturing, cost-effectiveness and little material wastage. Three Dimensional
Printing (3DP) is a technology, which can create geometry into a solid model. Fused Filament
fabrication (FFF) parameters will be altered in terms of varying raster angle. This research
project focuses on the fabrication by FFF and characterization in terms of hardness and
mechanical properties of PLA thermoplastic composites. PLA is a biodegradable polymer with
good strength and biodegradability, which is essential in the production of newer components
via 3D printing. The specimen will be made in accordance with ASTM Standards. The
specimen will be fabricated according to the ASTM Standards.

High-performance fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites are widely used in

automotive applications. The depletion of petroleum-based resources, increasing awareness
about using eco-friendly materials, and high manufacturing costs have encouraged researchers
to find sustainable natural alternatives to synthetic fibers. Due to advancements in
nanotechnology, modifying a polymer matrix with nanofillers has become an interesting
approach to improving the properties of FRP composites. Numerous researchers have
evaluated the effect on mechanical properties from adding various nanofillers (graphene,
carbon nanotube, nanoclay, nanocellulose, etc.) to nanocomposites at levels ranging from a
0.01 to 5 wt%. Adding nanofillers significantly improves the mechanical properties of polymer
composites. This chapter addresses the effect of different nanofiller weight percentages on the
properties of polymer nanocomposites in automotive applications.

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Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION

3D printing, also referred to as additive manufacturing (AM), rapid prototyping (RP),

or solid-freeform fabrication (SFF), is the fabrication of objects through the deposition of a
material, layer by layer using a print head, or nozzle, to make objects from 3D model data,
Today Medical uses for 3D printing include: tissue and organ fabrication; creation of
customized prosthetics, implants, and anatomical models, and pharmaceutical research
regarding drug dosage forms, and delivery. A rapidly growing market for 3D printers is for
use in biomedical applications.
3D printing provides the possibility of low volume and cost effect production as well
as customized parts with extraordinary features such as multilateral fabrication, light weight
hollow material and fabrication of complex structures which are not possible using traditional
fabrication techniques such as CNC milling, casting or molding. The focus of this project is
to determine the mechanical properties of 3D printed polymer - Polylactic Acid (PLA) so that
they can be utilized for computer modelling applications such as finite element analysis
(FEA). Material information of 3D printed materials such as PLA, is not widely available for
use in FEA, due to the fact that the wide range of printing parameter combinations (infill %,
layer height and infill pattern) lead to very different outcomes. Computer simulation of a 3D
printing process is a necessary step to make sure that the 3D printing systems work as they
are supposed.

3D printing provides the possibility of low volume and cost effect production as well
as customized parts with extraordinary features such as multilateral fabrication, light weight
hollow material and fabrication of complex structures which are not possible using traditional
fabrication techniques such as CNC milling, casting or molding.

The discovery of graphene in 2004 has triggered enormous research interests around the world
due to its extraordinary mechanical, electronic and thermal properties. The super-strong and
highly conductive graphene holds remarkable potentials in the applications in the new-
generation nanoelectromechanical devices .

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Lee et al. [4] measured the elastic properties of graphene experimentally. They found that the
Young’s modulus of graphene is 1.0 ± 0.1 TPa and its breaking strength is approximately
40 N/m.

Experimental works done by Ramanathan et al.and Rafiee et al. also found that graphene
outperforms the graphite and carbon nanotubes in enhancing the Young’s modulus and tensile
strength of nanocomposites. The superiority of graphene stems from its two dimensional
geometry, high surface-to-volume ratio and the associated stronger interface interaction. In
addition to the experimental works, atomistic simulations have also been carried out
extensively to explore the mechanical properties of graphene. By using molecular dynamics
(MD) simulations based on adaptive intermolecular reactive empirical bond order (AIREBO)
potential , the research group led by Aluru et al. investigated the various effects on the
mechanical properties of graphene under uniaxial tension and shear strain. They discovered
that size, chirality, temperature, and strain rate exert significant influences on the fracture
strength of graphene. Pei et al. and Zheng et al. employed MD simulations to investigate the
mechanical properties of the graphene functionalized with hydrogen and other chemical
groups. It is worth noting that most of the atomistic simulations focus on the mechanical
characterization of monolayer graphene . Fewer studies have been done on the bilayer or
multilayer graphene. In the experimental works and practical applications, the majority of the
graphene-based nanocomposites are reinforced by multilayer graphene rather than the
monolayer one. It is found from experiments and atomistic simulations that the thermal
conductivity of graphene is heavily dependent of the layer number. In view of these facts, it is
crucial to understand the relationship between layer number and the mechanical properties.
This is the first aim in the present paper.

It is aware that most of the studies have been conducted at the low temperature or room
temperature so as to avoid the thermal fluctuation. The effect of temperature on mechanical
properties is commonly neglected. In general, graphene-based nano-devices perform their
functions accompanied by the heat generation, causing the rise of the environmental
temperature. It is believed that increasing temperature can affect the performance of graphene
and its composites. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the effect of temperature
on the mechanical properties of graphene. This is the second aim of the present work.

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Recently, it is experimentally confirmed that different carbon isotopes, such as 13C, can be
introduced in graphene during the production and modify the thermal property of graphene
significantly. The electronic properties of isotope-doped graphene remain unchanged due to
the same number of electrons in carbon isotopes.

However, the combination of carbon fibre and advanced polymers has not yet been achieved.
This is particularly the case of fabrication full-scale components that have improved
mechanical properties and which are electrical conductive. This is where the current research
offers significant improvements in the mechanical and electrical properties of 3D Printable
composites. Previous research shows promising improvements in thermal and electrical
conductivities of graphene-based nanocomposites. PLA-based Graphene composites show the
best performance in terms of tensile and flexural stress with a 1.7 times improvement.

1.1 PROBLEM STATEMENT

Evaluating the mechanical properties of 3D printed polymer composites with Nano
fillers

OBJECTIVE
 The main objective of this work is to study the Mechanical Properties of 3D printed
bamboo powder reinforced PLA composites.

 The sub-objectives are considered to achieve the main objective of the work are as
follows.

 To fabricate the test specimens of 3D printed bamboo powder reinforced PLA

composites according to ASTM standards using fused filament fabrication (FFF)
process.

 To determine the Tensile Strength the Composite Filament using Taguchi method

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Chapter 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
3D printing provides the possibility of low volume and cost effect production as well
customized parts with extraordinary features such as multilateral fabrication, light weight
hollow material and fabrication of complex structures which are not possible using traditional
fabrication techniques such as CNC milling, casting or molding.

When carrying out an FEA analysis the properties which are seen in Table 1 are
required to be entered into the software to carry out an accurate analysis.

Elastic Modulus Compressive Strength

Poisson's Ratio Yield Strength

Shear Modulus Thermal Expansion Coefficient

Mass Density Thermal Conductivity

Specific Heat Tensile Strength

Table 2.1: Mechanical properties required for input for a successful FEA analysis.

In the Material dialog box of Solid works 2016 Simulation press, the properties are
highlighted to indicate the mandatory and optional properties. A red description indicates the
property is mandatory based on the active study type and the material model. A blue description
indicates an optional property [8]. Mandatory properties include Elastic Modulus, Poisson's
Ratio, Mass Density and Yield Strength. Optional properties are Tensile Strength, Compressive
Strength and Thermal Expansion Coefficient. If a material property is not entered it is entered
as an assumed value.

Material properties will change depending on setting used within the printer.
Determining the effect of process parameters is also an important aspect of this project, as it
will improve knowledge about optimal settings and assist users in the correct selection of
process parameters in real world applications.

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1. Jiang et al. explored the tensile strength and the fiber distribution of PLA, ABS, PETG, and
Amphora by adding carbon fiber, with the raster angle of the printing being 0°, 45°, ±45°,
and 90°, respectively. The results showed that PETG had the highest tensile strength after
adding carbon fiber. In particular, when the raster angle was set at 0°, the tensile strength and
the Young’s modulus increased to 48.2% and 313.2%, respectively.

2. Mansour et al. explored the compressive strength, nano-indentation, and modal parameters
of PETG by adding a 20% mixture of carbon fiber, and the results showed that the specimen’s
compressive strain decreased by 66% after adding a mixture of carbon fiber, while the modal
and hardness increased to 30% and 27%, respectively, and the damping and loss factors also
decreased from 17.3% and 15.3% to 13.8% and 12.39%, respectively.

3. Santana et al. explored the differences among the mechanical properties of PLA and PETG,
based on FDM and injection molding technology, and the results showed that PLA has higher
stiffness and tension than PETG; however, PETG has better thermal degradation resistance
and thermal stability than PLA, and, after the FDM process, the tensile strength of PLA and
PETG increases by 24% and 18%, respectively. Because the homoscedasticity of PETG is
lower than that of PLA, PETG should have better printing stability.

4. Rajpurohit et al. explored the effect of the angle and width of the grid and layer height on
PLA, and the results showed that, when the angle of the grid is 0°, it has the highest tensile
strength, and that the tensile strength can be improved by enhancing the width of the grid and
reducing the layer height.

5. Valerga et al. analyzed the effects of the printing temperature, humidity, and the color of the
wire on the mechanical properties, based on PLA, and the results showed that a higher
printing temperature will enhance the deviation of the product size and reduce the tensile
strength, while the deviation will increase substantially when the printing temperature is over
200 °C. As far as the mechanical properties are concerned, the printing temperature should
be set at 220 °C.

6. Vinyas et al. studied composites of PLA, such as PLA +30% nylon glass fibers, PLA +10%
carbon fibers, and a PLA + PET-G polymer blend, after analyzing the tensile strength and

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heat-resistance, and the results showed that PLA + 10% carbon fibers had the highest tensile
strength. Meanwhile, PLA +30% glass fibers could provide excellent thermal stability and
can be used where primary importance is given to thermal stability over the mechanical
strength.

7. Singh et al. divided ABS, PLA, and High-Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) into three slices and
changed the order of printing to produce test specimens. They analyzed the tensile strength
by arranging the different materials, and the results showed that the tensile strength of the
specimens increased to 10.78 Mpa by printing in three layers, with the first layer in ABS, the
second layer in PLA, and the last layer in HIPS.

8. Yao explored the effects of different layer thicknesses on the UTS of PLA, including 0.1,
0.2, and 0.3 mm, with a raster angle of 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, 60°, 75°, and 90°, respectively. The
results showed that the raster angle affected the UTS significantly, and the discrepancy
between the specimens of 0.1 mm–0° and 0.1 mm–90° reached 52.29%. The present paper
shows the effect of printing parameters on the mechanical properties of the materials. The
researchers used different methods, including adjusting the parameters, adding other fibers,
changing the process, and so on, to improve the efficiency, productivity, and mechanical
characteristics of the printing objects.

9. Barrios et al. explored the parameters needed to ensure that a PETG wire had the best Ca
value, based on FDM, including the layer height, nozzle temperature, process speed, the
acceleration of the process speed, and the flow of material. After analyzing them using the
Taguchi method and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) methods, the results showed that the
acceleration of the process speed and the flow of the material had the strongest influence
the quality parameters of PETG.

10. Guessasma et al. explored the effect on the tensile strength of PETG by setting the nozzle
temperature at 210 °C~250 °C, and the results showed that the PETG wire must be printed
at a temperature of over 230 °C; otherwise, the material cannot be pasted onto the platform.
When the nozzle temperature is set at 250 °C, the porosity has a maximum value of 2% and
the average roughness is approximately 100 μm. In addition, the FDM process will reduce
the tensile strength and stiffness of PETG by over 40%, and the elongation will also decrease
drastically. The present paper on PETG shows that it has better heat resistance than PLA,

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and, therefore, many producers are expected to use PETG in the future, in order to
compensate for the disadvantages of PLA. Many researchers have explored a large amount
of data on PLA, based on FDM, and if the parameters of PLA and PETG could be cross-
referenced, the printing parameters of PETG could be evaluated by the data history of PLA
in the future.

11. Bakradze et al. present a heuristic procedure for determining the key processing parameters
(PPs) of PA and ABS; the results showed that it is possible to reduce the optimization time
down to several hours, as well as to reduce the amount of consumed feedstock material.
Tensile tests revealed a strong effect of the amorphous and semi-crystalline nature of the
polymer on the results of optimization.

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Chapter 3
METHODOLOGY

Literature review

Selection of material and

Reinforcing agents

Identification of 3D printing
machine and facilities

Fabrication of samples through FFF Quality

check by Density and Voids

Characteristics of Samples

Mechanical Testing
Tensile

Results and Discussion

Conclusion

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3.1 FDM PROCESS

Fig 3.1: Working of FDM Printer

To operate an FDM machine, you first load a spool of this thermoplastic filament into
the printer. Once the nozzle hits the desired temperature, the printer feeds the filament through
an extrusion head and nozzle. This extrusion head is attached to a three-axis system that allows
it to move across the X, Y and Z axes. The printer extrudes melted material in thin strands and
deposits them layer by layer along a path determined by the design. Once deposited, the
material cools and solidifies. You can attach fans to the extrusion head to accelerate cooling in
some cases. To fill an area, multiple passes are required, similar to coloring in a shape with a
marker. When the printer finishes a layer, the build platform descends and the machine begins
work on the next layer. In some machine setups, the extrusion head moves up. This process
repeats until the part is finished.

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Materials Used
Bamboo (20%) reinforced with PLA (80%)

Bamboo Fiber
The fundamental benefit of natural fibers is the long-term sustainable supply and easily
degraded, so it is safer for the environment than synthetic fibers [22]. Unlike other natural
fibers, bamboo is good for environment, with fast growth and a high rate of carbon dioxide
fixation, making it the most significant plant fiber. Bamboo has many benefits, like
biodegradability, lightweight, high strength, and stiffness. These properties cause bamboo to
be used traditionally to manufacture utensils. Bamboo can also be employed as a reinforcement
if fibers are extracted in a controlled manner.
A suitable procedure for extracting controlled bamboo fibers from bamboo trees must
be developed to reap the benefits of bamboo fibers. However, bamboo fibers with excellent
mechanical qualities are difficult to come by. The bamboo fibers are covered with lignin, so
they are brittle compared to other natural fibers. As a result, a planned technique should be
followed to extract bamboo fibers used as a reinforcement in composite materials. The physical
and mechanical characteristics are listed here in Table 1.

Characteristics Unit Amount

Solid density g/cm3 0.91–1.4

Tensile strength MPa 270–615

Young’s modulus MPa 17–36

Table 3.1: Physical and Mechanical Characteristics of Bamboo Fiber

Properties of PLA Material

Polymer Elastic Tensile Elongation at Tm (oC) Tg (oC)
Modulus Strength break (%)
PLA 0.35 - 3.5 21 – 60 2.5 – 6 150 – 162 45 - 60
Table 3.2: Physical and Mechanical Properties of PLA
Tm – Melting Temperature Tg–Glass Transition Temperature

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Step -1: IDENTIFICATION OF RAW MATERIALS

PLA is a biodegradable polymer that possesses good strength and biodegradable
property which is highly needed in production of newer components through 3D printing.
Carbon fibre (CF), on the other hand, has outstanding mechanical, thermal, and electrical
properties, as well as a high strength/density ratio. Because of these advantages, it is one of
the most commonly used reinforcing materials, especially in polymer composites. As a result,
PLA and carbon fibres are used as raw materials in this project.

Step -2: IDENTIFICATION OF 3D PRINTING MACHINE AND FACILITIES

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) has developed a set of
standards that categorize additive manufacturing.

Step -3: FABRICATION OF SAMPLES THROUGH FFF PROCESS

According to the required ASTM Standards the specimens where prepared using
Creality Ender-3 Pro FFF 3D printer. The ASTM standards are shown below table

ASTM STANDARDS TESTS

ASTM D638 Tensile test
Table 3.3: Standard Samples as per ASTM standards

Step -4: ANALYSIS OF 3D PRINTED PARTS

The mechanical testing such as tensile strength, impact test, hardness and density test
were carried out.

Step -5: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results obtained for with and without reinforced samples of PLA were discussed

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3.2 Taguchi Design:

We use Taguchi method for validation the observation result. Taguchi method optimize the
variable process parameter by robust design of experiment. The main aim is optimize the process
parameter and providing high-quality at low production cost. The taguchi method is invented by
Genichi taguchi. Taguchi introduce the method of design of experiment to find the how various
parameter, affect the mean and variance of process performance that identify the how well the
process is programme. The design of experiment of taguchi involves the orthogonal array to define
the affecting process parameters and level at should varied.
The general steps involved in the Taguchi Method are as follows:
1. Define the process objective, or more specifically, a target value for a performance measure of
the process. This may be a flow rate, temperature, etc. The target of a process may also be a
minimum or maximum; for example, the goal may be to maximize the output flow rate. The
deviation in the performance characteristic from the target value is used to define the loss
function for the process.
2. Determine the design parameters affecting the process. Parameters are variables within the
process that affect the performance measure such as temperatures, pressures, etc. that can be
easily controlled. The number of levels that the parameters should be varied at must be
specified. For example, a temperature might be varied to a low and high value of 400C and
800C. increasing the number of levels to vary a parameter at increases the number of
experiments to be conducted.
3. Create orthogonal arrays for the parameter design indicating the number of and conditions for
each experiment. The selection of orthogonal arrays is based on the number of parameters and
the levels of variation for each parameter, and will be expounded below.
4. Conduct the experiments indicated in the completed array to collect data on the effect on the
performance measure.
5. Complete data analysis to determine the effect of the different parameters on the performance
measure.

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3.3 Universal Testing Machine

Fig 3.2: UTM

Specifications of UTM
Capacity Upto 20 Ton 2
Test Speed Minimum test speed 0.01 mm/min.
Maximum test speed 500 mm/min.
Full & return speeds Compatible with above speed Maximum force at
full speed Compatible with full speed
Dimensions and features of cross heads of UTM
Width Preferably in the range of 1000- 1200 mm
Depth Preferably in the range of 500-600 mm
Height Preferably in the range of 1600- 2000 mm
Total crosshead travel Preferably in the range of 1200- 1400 mm
Total vertical test space Preferably in the range of 1200- 1400 mm
Frame Stiffness Medium (Higher is preferable)
Data Acquisition As per ASTM E 1856
Accuracy ~+_ the larger of 0.5 % of reading or 0.01 % of capacity 10.2
Repeatability ~+_ the larger of 0.25 % of reading or 0.005 % of capacity

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3.4 STEPS INVOLVED IN 3D PRINTING

Fig 3.3: Process of 3D Printing

 Axes: X, Y, and Z. X and Y are the dimensions in which an individual slice is built, Z is the
vertical dimension.

 Build Platform: The base on which the object is built.

 Build Volume: The maximum dimensions in which an object can be printed.

 Extruder: An assembly consisting of a stepper motor, a heating element, and a print nozzle.
The stepper motor draws the filament into a heated core and through a print nozzle. The
heating element brings the filament to a consistent temperature that allows the melted
filament to be applied to the bed and successive layers of the cooled filament.

 Filament: The spooled plastic material that is extruded to create the 3D model. There are
many different types of filament, but for our purposes, we will only cover PLA (Polylactide)
which is a biodegradable thermoplastic derived from corn and other plant products.

 G-Code: A file with encoded instructions for printing the object. This file tells the machine
where to go in X, Y, and Z, what temperature to maintain for the extruder, feed speeds for
the stepper motors, etc.

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 Slicing Software: Software that takes a model exported from 3D design software, adds
support structures if needed, and exports the model as a series of instructions for the 3D
printer. It's called "slicing software" because 3D prints are built up in horizontal slices.

 Support Structures: Automatically generated printed structures that support overhanging

geometry in printed parts. These are meant to be removed and disposed of when the part has
finished printing

3.5 PREPARATION OF COMPOSITE FILAMENT

Materials used
Matrix material: PLA (80%)
Reinforcement: Bamboo powder (20%)

Fig 3.4: Twin Screw extruder is used to prepare the composite filament

If the output or degree of fill is not found running at the maximum volumetric rate it can be
impacted by the pressure flow within the extruder. The counter-rotating twin screw extruders are
found forming a closed channel inside the intermeshing region as the output is less vulnerable as
compared to the pressure flow within the extruder. They are considered to be having positive
displacement pumps.

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3.6 3D Model of Sample

According to the ASTM D638 tensile test samples are prepared with the dimensions of
115x19x2.5 mm as shown in Figure 3.

Fig 3.5: Specimen Model

3.7 Slicing of 3D Model

Fig 3.6: Slicing the 3D Model into layers in Slicing Software: Cura Software

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3.8 Printing of Samples according to experiment table

Fig 3.7: 3D printer used for preparation of samples

Fig 3.8: 3D printer used for preparation of samples

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Fig 3.9: Samples Printed According to Design of Experiments before load

Design of Experiment

Control Level Setting

Parameters L1 L2 L3
Layer Height 0.16 0.20 0.24
Printing 180 200 220
Temperature
Printing Speed 30 60 90
Table 3.4: Taguchi Method Using Minitab

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Design of Experiments using Taguchi method

Sl. No. Layer Height Printing Temp. Printing Speed

1 0.16 180 30

2 0.16 200 60

3 0.16 220 90

4 0.2 180 60

5 0.2 200 90

6 0.2 220 30

7 0.24 180 90

8 0.24 200 30

9 0.24 220 60

Table 3.5: L9 Orthogonal Array

According to Taguchi’s approach based on the selected parameters (Factors) the

appropriate orthogonal array is L9. The selected factors are three with three levels each. Thus, the
proposed experiments by the methodology are described in Table 6.

Taguchi method recommends the use of the loss function, which is further transformed into signal-
to-noise (S/N) ratio in the optimisation process. Higher values of the S/N identify better design
factor settings that make the system more robust and minimize the effects of the noise factors.
Design factors are those able to be controlled while noise factors are impossible or too expensive
to manage. They are sources of system variability. Three categories of performance characteristics,
namely nominal-the-best, larger-the-better, and smaller-the-better, are usually used to analyze the
S/N ratio. In this research, the authors want to minimize the printing speed and weight of printed
products

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In the response table, the delta value was calculated by taking the highest average response value
minus the lowest average response value for levels of one factor. The delta values were used to
indicate the level of the factor impact on the response. The smaller order of rank represents the
more significant influence on the output. For example, the factor which has the highest delta value
was assigned as rank 1. In other words, this factor has the most significant influence on the response.

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Chapter 4
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

TEST RESULTS
Orthogonal Cs Area Peak % Stress Strain UTS
Array Load Elongation

L1 17.78 608.436 15.688 20.4925 0.0993 34.17

L2 17.40 617.175 17.865 21.2875 0.097 35.47

L3 18.645 656.314 17.841 21.116 0.0101 35.18

L4 19.15 634.255 16.283 19.875 0.081 33.12

L5 19.18 630.582 15.605 19.738 0.0975 32.89

L6 18.415 661.959 15.010 21.522 0.0975 35.95

L7 18.165 596.821 13.413 19.713 0.0895 32.85

L8 19.765 565.095 13.165 17.162 0.089 28.61

L9 19.165 595.437 13.665 18.599 0.0875 31.06

Table 4.1: Tested results obtained using Taguchi Method

Table 7 shows the experimental results of the work carried out. Each of the 15 experiments
(in Table 2) was conducted two times to account for variations that may occur due to noise factors.
Minitab 18 software was used to calculate the S/N ratio and generates graphs for Taguchi method

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Fig 4.1: Tested samples after application of load

In the above fig 5, the specimen breaks exactly at the center in only two specimens i.e. T5L1
and T3L1and in remaining specimens failure occurs instantly and doesn’t give accurate results of
tensile strength. So, T7L2, T1L1, T2L1, T7L1, T8L1, T9L1, and T4L1 specimens were not considered
for the study of mechanical properties as they failure suddenly.

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%ELONGATION

Fig 4.2: Elongation of tested specimens

In above fig 6, elongation is maximum in L2 specimen whereas Minimum in L7 specimen.

A higher percent elongation usually indicates a better quality material when combined with good
tensile strength.

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MAX STRESS (N/MM2)

STRESS(N/MM²)

21.2875

21.577
21.116
20.4975

19.875

19.738

19.713

18.599
17.167

L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9

Fig 4.3: Max. Stress plots of samples

In above fig7, maximum stress occurs for sample L1, L2, L3 and L6 which ranges from
21.577 to 20.4975 and minimum stress includes for samples L4, L5, L7, L8 and L9 ranging from
19.875 to 18.599. So, this shows that samples which are having high stress obtain better tensile
strength than the lower stress samples with optimum level parameters like layer height, printing
speed and printing temperature.

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ULTIMATE TENSILE STRENGTH

Fig 4.4: Ultimate Tensile Strength plots of samples

In above fig8, ultimate tensile strength is maximum for sample L1, L2, L3 and L6 which
ranges from 36N/mm2 to 34N/mm2 and minimum stress includes for samples L4, L5, L7, L8 and
L9 ranging from 33N/mm2 to 29N/mm2. So, this shows that samples which are having high stress
obtain better tensile strength than the lower stress samples with optimum level parameters like layer
height, printing speed and printing temperature.
This shows that higher ultimate tensile strength specimen will have more ductility property
& increase in percentage of elongation.

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Fig 4.5: Mean SN plots using Minitab

From fig 9, Layer height and printing speed are two factors that have the most significant
impact on the strength of a printed object. Layer height and printing speed have the largest effect
on the value of printing time. The effects of three factors (layer height, printing temperature, and
printing speed) on the value of tensile strength have not much different. However, layer height and
printing speed are two parameters that have more influent than the rest. The maximum layer height
and print speed resulted in the fastest printing time.

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STRESS STARIN PLOTS OF SAMPLES

Fig 4.6:
Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L1. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.7: Load v/s Length for L2 sample

Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L2. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

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Fig 4.8: Load v/s Length for L3 sample

Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L3. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.9: Load v/s Length for L4 sample

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Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L4. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.10: Load v/s Length for L5 sample

Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L5. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.11: Load v/s Length for L6 sample

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Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L6. From the figure we can easily identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.12: Load v/s Length for L7 sample

Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L7. From the figure we can easy identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.13: Load v/s Length for L8 sample

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Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L8. From the figure we can easy identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

Fig 4.14: Load v/s Length for L9 sample

Figure indicated the change in length with the load applied for the 3D printed tensile
specimen L9. From the figure we can easy identify the critical points such as upper yield point,
lower yield point, ultimate load and fracture load. The specimen as shown the ductile behaviors
before failure.

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APPLICATION OF PLA-REINFORCED BAMBOO

COMPOSITES POLYMER
 Natural fibres are used globally in various applications. The industry has responded strongly
to using different natural fibres since they are cheaper and lighter.
 The lightweight nature of bamboo fibre composites is a significant consideration in their
application. PLA becomes increasingly capable when plasticized with its monomers,
producing a series of products replicating synthetic polymers.
 These bamboo fibre–reinforced PLA polymer composites have various applications, such
as packaging, medical, upholstery, textile, and automotive interiors. The mechanical
characteristics of PLA bamboo fibre polymer composites were comparable with
conventional polymer composites.
 They could be used in interior and exterior automobile parts like door panels, door handles,
dashboards, seat cushions, timing belt covers, and bumpers. Despite all efforts by
researchers to enhance the properties of PLA, there are still some complicated problems to
be fixed.
 The biggest impediment to PLA’s usage in the automotive industry is its brittleness and low
thermal stability.
 Using suitable additives and modifiers could make a difference in the composite.
 This study details the interactions between the matrix and various additives and the effect
of modifiers.

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CONCLUSION
 The present study shows an experimental investigation on mechanical properties of
PLA+Bamboo powder composite polymer in additive manufacturing processes.

 Several manufacturing parameters (layer height, printing speed, and printing temperature)
were varied and the results analysed by means of graphical and statistical analysis.

 From the present study it is found that the optimum level setting that is layer height of 0.16,
printing temperature of 220 and printing speed of 90mm/s will yield a 3D printed
components with better mechanical strength for a PLA plus Bamboo powder filaments.

 A suitable fiber extraction method and pretreatment of fibers can improve the molecular
interaction within the matrix and fiber.

 The distribution of fibers in the matrix depends on the optimum amount of fiber loading.

 These parameters can increase the mechanical characteristics of the PLA polymer
composite.

 The use of bamboo fibers in PLA develops environment-friendly products.

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