Penetration testing of 3D printed projectiles made of various types of polymers

This paper presented an experimental process of penetration testing of FDM 3D printed projectiles made of 5 different types of polymers. Phases of design and 3D printing procedure are described, along with details about materials. Experiment is conducted on an improvised set-up with compressed air used for launching projectiles. Each material was tested with 3 projectiles launched at wooden boards. Muzzle velocity and penetration depth are measured and used for different calculations. Results show interesting and mostly unexpected penetration depth values of different materials. Based on several standards, some of the projectiles can be considered very dangerous and potentially lethal.