Build Orientation Influence on some Mechanical Properties of 3D-Printed Polyamide Specimens

Additive manufacturing [AM] is a type of production technology characterized by the additive nature of stacking and unifying individual layers, with the main advantage that parts with complex geometries can easily be obtained, compared to conventional production methods. Due to its working principle, i.e. stacking layers, obtained by melting and solidification, the mechanical characteristics of the built part might be influenced by the build orientation chosen for the specific part. The mechanical behavior, cyclic deformation and fatigue behaviors of additively manufactured metallic parts as compared to their counterparts obtained by conventional processing technologies was reported to be highly dependent on the build orientation. The aim of this study was to assess whether the build orientation will have an impact on the mechanical properties of parts built by Selective Laser Sintering, using polyamide powder as raw material. Samples were built at various inclination degrees, and were further tested in terms of bending, compressive, impact and hardness tests. It was observed that the build orientation has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of parts additively manufactured from polyamide, compared to the behavior presented on the technical sheet of the material, provided by the manufacturer. Keywords: additive manufacturing, mechanical properties, build orientation, Selective Laser Sintering