The objective of this publication is to present a quality control methodology for additive manufacturing products made of polymer materials, where the methodology varies depending on the intended use. The models presented in this paper are divided into those that are manufactured for the purpose of visual presentation and those that directly serve the needs of the manufacturing process. The authors also a propose a comprehensive control system for the additive manufacturing process to meet the needs of Industry 4.0. Depending on the intended use of the models, the quality control process is divided into three stages: data control, manufacturing control, and post-processing control. Research models were made from the following materials: RGD 720 photopolymer resin (PolyJet method), ABS M30 thermoplastic (FDM method), E-Partial photopolymer resin (DLP method), PLA thermoplastic (FFF method), and ABS thermoplastic (MEM method). The applied measuring tools had an accuracy of at least an order of magnitude higher than that of the manufacturing technologies used. The results show that the PolyJet method is the most accurate, and the MEM method is the least accurate. The findings also confirm that the selection of materials, 3D printing methods, and measurement methods should always account not only for the specificity and purpose of the model but also for economic aspects, as not all products require high accuracy and durability.

In this work, on the example of a spline connection, the effect of 3D printing on the structure of machine elements made of polymeric materials after a torsion test was investigated. A clear influence of the type of polymer and the printing direction in the applied incremental technology [FFF (Fused Filament Fabrication) also known as FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)] on the structure of the obtained elements was observed.

The article presents the results of strength tests of screw-nut threaded connections made of polymeric materials such as: ABS, PLA, PET-G and RGD720. In order to make physical models, three 3D printing techniques were used: Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), and PolyJet. The tests took into account the stresses caused by the axial force generated when the bolt is screwed into the nut or other structural element. Due to the complexity of the issue, the presented studies are only a starting point for further research.

The article presents the results of strength tests in the form of a static tensile test on the INSTRON 5967 testing machine. Samples were made with the use of the Prusa i3 MK3 3D printer, by modeling with a plasticized material (FFF) made of ABS copolymer, polylactide and its modified variant. According to the information provided by the manufacturer, heat-treated modified polylactide has mechanical properties similar to ABS copolymer filament. The publication also discusses the method of manufacturing elements subjected to the tests, the heat treatment process, as well as changes in material properties as a result of this treatment. Based on the test results, it was found that the annealing process increased the proportion of the crystalline phase, which significantly improved the strength properties of the modified polylactide.

Purpose Manufacturing of products loaded with torque in an incremental process should take into account the strength in relation to the internal structure of the details. Incremental processes allow for obtaining various internal structures, both in the production process itself and as a result of designing a three-dimensional computer-aided design model with programmable strength. Finite element analysis (FEA) is often used in the modeling process, especially in the area of topological optimization. There is a lack of data for numerical simulation processes, especially for the design of products loaded with torque and manufactured additive manufacturing (AM). The purpose of this study is to present the influence of the internal structure of samples produced in the material extrusion (MEX) technology on the tested parameters in the process of unidirectional torsion and to present the practical application of the obtained results on the example of a spline connection. Design/methodology/approach The work involved a process of unidirectional torsion of samples with different internal structures, produced in the MEX technology. The obtained results allowed for the FEA of the spline connection, which was compared with the test of unidirectional torsion of the connection. Findings The performance of the unidirectional torsion test and the obtained results allowed us to determine the influence of the internal structure and its density on the achieved values of the tested parameters of the analyzed prototype materials. The performed FEA of the spline connection reflects the deformation of the produced connection in the unidirectional torsion test. Originality/value There are no standards for the torsional strength of elements manufactured from polymeric materials using MEX methods, which is why the industry often does not use these methods due to the need to spend time on research, which is associated with high costs. In addition, the industry is vary of unknown solutions and limits their use. Therefore, it is important to determine, among others, the strength parameters of components manufactured using incremental methods, including MEX, so that they can be widely used because of their great potential and thus gain trust among the recipient market. In addition, taking into account the different densities of the applied filling structure of the samples made of six prototype materials commonly available from manufacturers allowed us to determine its effect on the torsional strength. The presented work can be the basis for constructors dealing with the design of elements manufactured in the MEX technology in terms of torsional strength. The obtained results also complement the existing material base in the FEA software and perform the strength analysis before the actual details are made to verify the existing irregularities that affect the strength of the details. The analysis of unidirectional torsion made it possible to supplement the material cards, which often refer to unprocessed material, e.g. in MEX processes.