Fused filament fabrication (FFF)-based additive manufacturing is constrained by functional reliability in terms of wear resistance and surface finish, which impinge upon the performance of printed parts. This study evaluates whether a low-cost, in-house extruded polylactic acid (PLA) filament can achieve comparable or superior performance to commercially available PLA filaments in functional fused filament fabrication applications. PLA pellets were dried, and 1.75 mm diameter filament was extruded, and comparative test pieces were printed with a Flashforge Adventurer 4 printer. A Box–Behnken design was used to evaluate the impact of layer thickness, printing speed, and the number of top layers on wear and surface roughness. Wear (pin-on-disc) and surface roughness (Mitutoyo SJ-410) were evaluated, and the findings indicate that the in-house PLA filament provides lower wear rates and moderate surface finish, especially at optimized settings, compared to commercial filament. These results show that PLA filament produced in-house is not only economically viable but also an environmentally friendly material that extends the field of FFF applications, demanding improved tribological behavior and surface finish.
ChiaHNWuBM. Recent advances in 3D printing of biomaterials. J Biol Eng2015 Dec; 9: –4.
2.
BrenkenBBarocioEFavaloroA, et al.Fused filament fabrication of fiber-reinforced polymers: a review. Additive Manufacturing2018 May 1; 21: 1–16.
3.
YadavARohruPBabbarA, et al.Fused filament fabrication: a state-of-the-art review of the technology, materials, properties and defects. International Journal on Interactive Design and Manufacturing (IJIDeM)2023 Dec; 17: 2867–2889.
4.
FicoDRizzoDCasciaroR, et al.A review of polymer-based materials for fused filament fabrication (FFF): focus on sustainability and recycled materials. Polymers (Basel)2022 Jan 24; 14: 65.
5.
KechagiasJZaoutsosS. Effects of 3D-printing processing parameters on FFF parts’ porosity: outlook and trends. Mater Manuf Processes2024 Apr 25; 39: 804–814.
6.
KechagiasJDFountasNAPapantoniouI, et al.Interlaminar bonding assessment in vertical-oriented filament material extrusion bending specimens. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology2025 Feb; 136: 4977–4989.
7.
KechagiasJD. Surface roughness assessment of ABS and PLA filament 3D printing parts: structural parameters experimentation and semi-empirical modelling. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology2024 Sep; 134: 1935–1946.
8.
KechagiasJD. 3D Printing parametric optimization using the power of Taguchi design: an expository paradigm. Mater Manuf Processes2024 Apr 25; 39: 797–803.
9.
KechagiasJDZaoutsosSP. An assessment of PLA/wood with PLA core sandwich multilayer component tensile strength under different 3D printing conditions. J Manuf Process2024 Dec 12; 131: 1240–1249.
10.
KechagiasJDZaoutsosSPFountasNA, et al.Experimental investigation and neural network development for modeling tensile properties of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) filament material. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology2024 Oct; 134: 4387–4398.
11.
Buj-CorralISánchez-CasasXLuis-PérezCJ. Analysis of AM parameters on surface roughness obtained in PLA parts printed with FFF technology. Polymers (Basel)2021 Jul 20; 13: 2384.
12.
Hidalgo-CarvajalDMuñozÁHGarrido-GonzálezJJ, et al.Recycled PLA for 3D printing: a comparison of recycled PLA filaments from waste of different origins after repeated cycles of extrusion. Polymers2023 Sep 4; 15: 3651.
13.
Seno FloresJDde Assis AugustoTLopes Vieira CunhaDA, et al.Sustainable polymer reclamation: recycling poly (ethylene terephthalate) glycol (PETG) for 3D printing applications. Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Engineering2024 Aug 12; 19: 16.
14.
ZuoYHuYZhaoB, et al.3D Printed flame-retardant materials with green sustainability applications. Advanced Science2024; 11: 2306360.
15.
ZhangHChenJLiuQ, et al.Life-cycle assessment and recycling strategies of PLA in additive manufacturing for sustainable production. J Manuf Process2024; 102: 112–123.
16.
ZhouLPatelMSinghR. Degradation and sustainability assessment of PLA-based materials for additive manufacturing. Progress in Additive Manufacturing2024; 9: 215–229.
17.
AhmedTKumarSGuptaR. Influence of printing parameters on the microstructure and mechanical performance of PLA fabricated by FDM. Additive Manufacturing2023; 73: 103557.
18.
LiYChenZHuangP. Sustainable approaches to enhance the mechanical and thermal performance of PLA composites in additive manufacturing. Additive Manufacturing2025; 83: 104755.
19.
FarahSAndersonDGLangerR. Physical and mechanical properties of PLA, and their functions in widespread applications — A comprehensive review. Adv Drug Delivery Rev2016; 107: 367–392.
BhadauriaNPandeySPandeyPM. Wear and enhancement of wear resistance–A review. Mater Today Proc2020 Jan 1; 26: 2986–2991.
22.
HanonMMZsidaiL. Comprehending the role of process parameters and filament color on the structure and tribological performance of 3D printed PLA. J Mater Res Technol2021 Nov 1; 15: 647–660.
23.
BajpaiPKSinghIMadaanJ. Tribological behavior of natural fiber reinforced PLA composites. Wear2013 Jan 15; 297: 829–840.
24.
ASTM G99–17 Standard Test Method for Wear Testing with a Pin-on-Disk Apparatus.
25.
FerreiraSCBrunsREFerreiraHS, et al.Box-Behnken design: an alternative for the optimization of analytical methods. Anal Chim Acta2007 Aug 10; 597: 179–186.
26.
AslanNECebeciYA. Application of Box–Behnken design and response surface methodology for modeling of some Turkish coals. Fuel2007 Jan 1; 86: 90–97.
27.
AhnDKweonJHKwonS, et al.Representation of surface roughness in fused deposition modeling. J Mater Process Technol2009 Aug 1; 209: 5593–5600.
28.
BakhtiariHNikzadMTolouei-RadM. Influence of three-dimensional printing parameters on compressive properties and surface smoothness of polylactic acid specimens. Polymers (Basel)2023 Sep 19; 15: 3827.
29.
GajjarTYangRYeL, et al.Effects of key process parameters on tensile properties and interlayer bonding behavior of 3D printed PLA using fused filament fabrication. Progress in Additive Manufacturing2025 Feb; 10: 1261–1280.
30.
RoyRMukhopadhyayA. Tribological studies of 3D printed ABS and PLA plastic parts. Mater Today Proc2021 Jan 1; 41: 856–862.
31.
GaoSWangHHuangH, et al.Predictive models for the surface roughness and subsurface damage depth of semiconductor materials in precision grinding. International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing2025 Feb 6; 7: 035103.
32.
JakupiKDukovskiVHodolliG. Surface roughness modeling of material extrusion PLA flat surfaces. Int J Polym Sci2023; 2023: 8844626.
33.
AyrilmisN. Effect of layer thickness on surface properties of 3D printed materials produced from wood flour/PLA filament. Polym Test2018 Oct 1; 71: 163–166.
34.
MahmoodSGuoEStirlingA, et al.Orientation controls tribological performance of 3D-printed PLA and ABS. Tribology Online2023 Oct 31; 18: 302–312.
35.
HanonMMAlshammasYZsidaiL. Effect of print orientation and bronze existence on tribological and mechanical properties of 3D-printed bronze/PLA composite. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology2020 May; 108: 553–570.
36.
ZhengYTianZYuZ, et al.A thermal history-based approach to predict mechanical properties of plasma arc additively manufactured IN625 thin-wall. J Manuf Process2025 Apr 30; 140: 91–107.
37.
LiRMaHWangR, et al.Application of unsupervised learning methods based on video data for real-time anomaly detection in wire arc additive manufacturing. J Manuf Process2025 Jun 15; 143: 37–55.
