Additive Manufacturing (AM) is revolutionizing the manufacturing industry as various AM technologies continue to mature and more AM-compatible materials are being developed. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is one of the promising materials at the forefront of this technological revolution as efforts to enhance its application as a 3D-printing material are continuously being pursued. In this study, the effect of printing parameters on the void content of 3D-printed PEEK was examined using a non-destructive method, X-ray micro computed tomography (X-ray micro-CT). Of the fused filament fabrication (FFF) parameters considered, higher nozzle temperature and printing speed were seen to promote an increase in void content while higher build plate temperature reduces it. Void content has a direct effect on the mechanical and other properties of the manufactured material and therefore provides a link between the printing parameters and the expected mechanical performance of these materials. This study also highlights the importance of choosing the right printing parameters to ensure the quality of the manufactured PEEK.

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has been in the manufacturing industry for more than a decade. It has aided in producing several intricate objects for several purposes. One of the most used techniques in AM is fused deposition modeling (FDM) wherein a plastic filament is heated to its melting point and deposited layer by layer in a build plate to form a 3D model. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is one of the commonly used filaments because of its relatively good impact resistance and toughness, and workability in 3D printing various structures. The gyroid structure is a self-supporting structure that has a good strength-to-weight ratio. The compressive strength of single and multiple-layered structures of ABS gyroid lattice structure with different line widths, infill densities, and wall counts was observed. A 0.35 line width with an infill density of 25% and wall count of 3 has a compressive strength of 11.94 MPa, material consumption of 1.87 grams, and printing time of 14 min which makes it the most efficient design for single-layered structures. Among three-layered structures, the combination of infill densities of 25% and 35% is the most efficient with 0.45 line width and 3 walls. It has a compressive strength of 15.87 MPa, printing time of 13 min, and material consumption of 2.3 grams. Nowadays, there are limited research articles on AM of a single structure with gradual varying densities as well as the effect of lesser-known printing parameters on the mechanical properties of AM parts. This study aims to aid future research by providing data on single and functionally graded structures with different line widths and wall counts. With the information from this study, future researchers and designers can further optimize printing parameters to make an efficient design that is light and has sufficient mechanical strength to serve a specific function.

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Functionally graded additive manufacturing (FGAM) is a fused deposition modeling (FDM) technique that steadily varies the ratio of the material distribution in a single specimen depending on a specific function. The gyroid design is used in a variety of applications because of its high porosity, surface area, and its good mechanical properties. This work investigated the relationship between the geometric design and the mechanical performance of the acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) gyroid structure using FDM. Tensile, compression, and flexural tests were performed to determine the mechanical behavior of the functionally graded lattice structures with controlled infill densities per layer. Results showed that the performance of the ABS gyroids is dominated by their geometrical design. The tensile strength of the single-layered structure increased linearly with respect to the increase in infill density from 15% to 35% however, compression and flexural results from 25% to 35% showed an exponential increase of 175.52% and 112.14%, respectively. Increasing the outer layer density from 15% to 35% for the three-layered structures resulted in an increase in tensile strength up to 62%. It was observed that the three-layered structures having the same amount of infill densities provided similar mechanical behavior in all the tests conducted. Fracture failures occurred in the adjoining layers wherein the density of the interconnected structures is a function of its material distribution.

PEEK is a polyaromatic semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer with good mechanical characteristics for biomedical applications. The medical field has been applying its mechanical properties to make bone implants and modeling for surgical planning using 3D printing, more formally called Additive Manufacturing (AM). This paper provides a concise discussion about PEEK and its development for orthopedic applications. Some of the designs used to fix specific issues are shown in this review paper including the mechanical properties development for PEEK to be applicable in the medical field. Challenges and prospects when 3D printing using this material on improving PEEK’s biocompatibility and ease of printing are also discussed.