Investigation of Process Control Influence on Tribological Properties of FLM-Manufactured Components

Abstract

In recent years, additive manufacturing methods such as Fused Layer Modeling have been continuously improved by industry and research institutions. In many cases, the influence of process control on the mechanical component properties is being investigated. Influencing parameters include the infill and its orientation as well as patterns. Extrusion parameters such as the volume flow, which can be influenced by the speed, the line width, and the layer thickness, and the temperatures, which determine the interlaminar bonding between the lines and layers, are relevant as well. In this contribution, the influence of process control on the tribological properties of cylindrical tribo-test specimens made of polybutylene terephthalate is investigated. Using a reciprocating pin-on-plate tribo-tester, the static and dynamic friction forces as well as the linear wear is determined. The results show a significant influence of the orientation and density of the infill on the tribological properties. Due to the process-specific large degrees of freedom, the advantage of a load-compatible individualisation and consequently the optimisation of tribologically exposed components is given compared to conventional manufacturing processes.

Surface Properties and Tribological Behavior of Additively Manufactured Components: A Systematic Review

“…Furthermore, investigations have been carried out on polylactic acid (PLA) [79,80,[84][85][86], which is very widely used in the AM industry, as a composite with bronze particles [87], silicon [84], and HT-PLA [86], which is suitable for higher temperatures. Finally, the following materials represented the research object of the considered publications and were investigated in detail with regard to their tribological behavior: polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) [80,86,88], polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) [89], polyether sulfone (PES) [90], PES/BF (basalt fiber reinforced) [90], polyetherimide (PEI) [91], and acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA) [92].…”

“…Nevertheless, a higher layer thickness resulted in a slightly higher coefficient of friction considering the same load conditions. The tribological behavior of PBT specimens was evaluated by screening different printing parameters, for example, infill percentage, infill variants, etc., on a pin-on-disc tribometer with reciprocating movement under dry conditions [89]. The aim was to identify a tribologically tailored printing variant.…”