Analysis of Additive Manufacturing Parameters Influencing the Mechanical Performance of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Parts

Yap, Ming Hong (2026) Analysis of Additive Manufacturing Parameters Influencing the Mechanical Performance of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Parts. Final Year Project (Diploma), Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology.

Text YAP MING HONG_Full Text.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (2MB)

Abstract

This study focuses on the optimization of fused filament fabrication (FFF) printing parameters for High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) filament. Additive manufacturing is widely used because it can produce customized parts with less material waste and higher design flexibility. However, improper printing parameters may cause defects such as poor bed adhesion, weak interlayer bonding, and printing failure. Therefore, this project aimed to investigate the effects of printing temperature and printing speed on the tensile properties of 3D-printed HIPS parts and to identify the most suitable printing condition. In this study, ASTM D638 Type V tensile specimens were designed using SolidWorks and printed using a 3D printer with different temperatures of 230°C, 245°C, and 260°C, and printing speeds of 30, 60, and 90 mm/min based on the Taguchi method. The specimens were then tested using a Universal Testing Machine, and the results were further analyzed using Smart Partial Least Squares(SmartPLS). The results showed that 245°C and 60 mm/min produced the highest tensile strength and elastic modulus for HIPS. Under the optimum printing condition, a comparison with commercial PLA and PETG showed that PLA had the highest tensile strength, while HIPS had the highest elastic modulus and PETG showed intermediate performance. SmartPLS analysis also showed that printing speed had a greater influence on tensile properties compared to printing temperature. Therefore, proper parameter selection is important to improve the mechanical performance and reliability of 3D-printed HIPS parts