Compressive strength assessment in additively manufactured sustainable poly lactic acid specimens as per ASTM D695 standard

Relative benefits over traditional manufacturing processes have made fused deposition modeling (FDM)-based 3D printing as prevalent among various fields and sectors. However, the mechanical traits of 3D-printed FDM parts are still a matter of research that primarily depends upon the material used. In addition to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material, another sustainable polymer used in the FDM is polylactic acid (PLA). This study evaluated the compressive strength of 3D-printed PLA specimens consistent with ASTM D695 standard. The test specimens were simulated in ANSYS software to assess the compression strength and deformation of the specimens. Five ASTM specimens were additively manufactured on a Makerbot printer with a 0.3 mm layer resolution, 100% infill rate, 215°C extrusion temperature and standard build speed. The specimens were conditioned in line with ASTM D695 standard. The compressive strengths of the specimens measured on a universal testing machine were correlated with the simulated results. The compressive strength of the specimens was found to be close to the standard strength.