Evaluation of dimensional accuracy and material properties of the MakerBot 3D desktop printer

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate the material properties and dimensional accuracy of a MakerBot Replicator 2 desktop 3D printer. Design/methodology/approach – A design of experiments (DOE) test protocol was applied to determine the effect of the following variables on the material properties of 3D printed part: layer height, per cent infill and print orientation using a MakerBot Replicator 2 printer. Classical laminate plate theory was used to compare results from the DOE experiments with theoretically predicted elastic moduli for the tensile samples. Dimensional accuracy of test samples was also investigated. Findings – DOE results suggest that per cent infill has a significant effect on the longitudinal elastic modulus and ultimate strength of the test specimens, whereas print orientation and layer thickness fail to achieve significance. Dimensional analysis of test specimens shows that the test specimen varied significantly (p < 0.05) from the nominal print dimensions. Practical implications – Although desktop 3D printers are an attractive manufacturing option to quickly produce functional components, this study suggests that users must be aware of this manufacturing process’ inherent limitations, especially for components requiring high geometric tolerance or specific material properties. Therefore, higher quality 3D printers and more detailed investigation into the MakerBot MakerWare printing settings are recommended if consistent material properties or geometries are required. Originality/value – Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a rapidly expanding manufacturing method. Initially, 3D printing was used for prototyping, but now this method is being used to create functional final products. In recent years, desktop 3D printers have become commercially available to academics and hobbyists as a means of rapid component manufacturing. Although these desktop printers are able to facilitate reduced manufacturing times, material costs and labor costs, relatively little literature exists to quantify the physical properties of the printed material as well as the dimensional consistency of the printing processes.

[1]  David A. Hutchins,et al.  A Simple, Low-Cost Conductive Composite Material for 3D Printing of Electronic Sensors , 2012, PloS one.

[2]  S. Tsai,et al.  Introduction to composite materials , 1980 .

[3]  A. K. Sood,et al.  Parametric appraisal of mechanical property of fused deposition modelling processed parts , 2010 .

[4]  Hod Lipson,et al.  Fab@Home: the personal desktop fabricator kit , 2007 .

[5]  L. Murr,et al.  Next-generation biomedical implants using additive manufacturing of complex, cellular and functional mesh arrays , 2010, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences.

[6]  John E. Renaud,et al.  Mechanical behavior of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene fused deposition materials modeling , 2003 .

[7]  I. Zein,et al.  Fused deposition modeling of novel scaffold architectures for tissue engineering applications. , 2002, Biomaterials.

[8]  R. Tibshirani,et al.  An introduction to the bootstrap , 1993 .

[9]  P. Wright,et al.  Anisotropic material properties of fused deposition modeling ABS , 2002 .

[10]  Selçuk Güçeri,et al.  Mechanical characterization of parts fabricated using fused deposition modeling , 2003 .

[11]  Mika Salmi,et al.  Novel additive manufactured scaffolds for tissue engineered trachea research , 2013, Acta oto-laryngologica.

[12]  Pero Raos,et al.  Experimental analysis of properties of materials for rapid prototyping , 2009 .

[13]  Ian Gibson,et al.  The use of rapid prototyping to assist medical applications , 2006 .

[14]  Caroline Sunyong Lee,et al.  Measurement of anisotropic compressive strength of rapid prototyping parts , 2007 .

[15]  Ryan B. Wicker,et al.  3D printer selection: A decision-making evaluation and ranking model , 2013 .

[16]  F. Melchels,et al.  A review on stereolithography and its applications in biomedical engineering. , 2010, Biomaterials.

[17]  Dietmar W. Hutmacher,et al.  Design and Fabrication of a 3D Scaffold for Tissue Engineering Bone , 2000 .

[18]  Wan Yusoff Way,et al.  Fabrication and Design of Customized Maxillofacial Biomodel for Implant Using Computer Aided Design and Rapid Prototyping Technique , 2013 .

[19]  Jozef Novak-Marcincin,et al.  Selected Testing for Rapid Prototyping Technology Operation , 2013 .