Tensile Properties of Robotic 3D-Printed Parts with Varying Contour Layer Thickness

Abstract

Additive manufacturing (AM) technology is rapidly advancing across diverse fields. For instance, the use of robotic arms in various AM processes has led to significant gains in printing flexibility and manufacturing scalability. However, despite these advancements, there remains a notable research gap concerning the mechanical properties of parts 3D-printed with robotic arms. This study focuses on developing a robotic fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D-printing process with a layer resolution of $50$ to $200 \mathrm{\mu }\mathrm{m}$ . The impact of the robotic printing process on the mechanical properties of printed parts is investigated and benchmarked against a commercial FFF 3D printer. In addition, we propose a novel tool path that can vary contour layer thickness within an infill layer to improve mechanical strength by minimizing air gaps between contours. SEM images suggest this new tool path strategy leads to a meaningful reduction in void area fraction within contours, confirmed by a nearly $6\%$ increase in ultimate tensile strength.