Evaluation of the influence of ultrasonic vibration on physical, tensile, and morphological properties of fused deposition modeled specimens

The use of fused deposition modeling (FDM) in printing polymers for various applications has been ever increasing. However, its utilization in printing polymers for high-strength and superior surface finish applications is still a challenge, primarily due to process intrinsic defects, i.e., voids between the layers and the rough exterior arising from unrestrained deposition of molten polymer. This research hypothesizes that application of ultrasonic vibration (USV) post-fabrication could minimize these shortcomings. For this investigation, ASTM D638 Type IV samples were FDM-printed using poly(lactic) acid (PLA). Through screening experiments, an optimized set of ultrasonic parameters was determined. Then, the effect of both-sided ultrasonic application was characterized. Subsequently, the impact of USV on the samples’ physical, tensile, and morphological properties was examined by varying the layer height, infill patterns, and