Impact of Printing Process on Part Quality in Additive Manufacturing
Open Access
Author:
De Kunder, Ella
Area of Honors:
Mechanical Engineering
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Amrita Basak, Thesis Supervisor Margaret Louise Byron, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Additive Manufacturing FDM SLA Spur Gear
Abstract:
In an increasingly industrialized world, investigating different manufacturing techniques
beyond traditional manufacturing can provide novel information that helps address complex issues
surrounding sustainability, resource management, and innovative design practices. Additive
manufacturing (AM), in which computer-generated models are printed three-dimensionally,
increases design flexibility, and makes manufacturing more accessible to consumers, academics,
and industry professionals alike. In this thesis, two popular AM techniques such as Fused
Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Stereolithography (SLA) were selected to manufacture various
spur gear designs. A full-factorial design generated various gear designs, which were analyzed for
feature accuracy and quality tradeoff across both printers to understand how different printing
techniques affect part quality across different length scales. After experimentation and analysis,
SLA resulted in higher dimensional accuracy than FDM-manufactured parts; however, FDM parts
returned a lower complexity score in terms of ease of manufacturing and accommodating for a
range of designs. Ultimately, these results demonstrate the importance of printer selection during
the design phase.
