This study applies the Taguchi method to investigate the relationship between the ultimate tensile strength, hardness and process variables in a squeeze casting 2017 A wrought aluminium alloy. The effects of various casting parameters including squeeze pressure, melt temperature and die temperature were studied. Therefore, the objectives of the Taguchi method for the squeeze casting process are to establish the optimal combination of process parameters and to reduce the variation in quality between only a few experiments. The experimental results show that the squeeze pressure significantly affects the microstructure and the mechanical properties of 2017 A Al alloy.

Fused Filament Fabrication (FDM) has emerged as a prominent and innovative manufacturing technique, facilitating the creation of intricate, lightweight components at reduced time and cost. Despite its advantages, the productivity and mechanical performance of 3D-printed parts remain challenging areas. Hence, there is a growing interest in investigating the interplay between FDM build time and mechanical properties. Structural parameters such as layer thickness (Lt), raster angle (Ia), and air gap distance (Ifd) can exhibit conflicting effects on productivity and mechanical properties. This study employs GRA and VIKOR techniques for the multi-criteria selection of 3D printing, aiming to optimize both printing time and specific flexural properties of PLA/copper composite beams constructed in the edge direction. We compare the parameters selected by both methods and evaluate their impact on the responses. The behaviors of the two models differ: GRA optimizes two responses the specific stiffness ans specific strength, while VIKOR is more effective for minimising printing time. Both models select the lower raster angle of 0° as optimuim. Lt significantly influences printing time, being the primary parameter in the VIKOR method, whereas Ifd primarily contributes to mechanical properties.

In additive manufacturing, fused deposition modelling (FDM) is one of the most often-used technologies. Polylactic Acid (PLA) is the most frequently applied polymer for prototyping or for real uses. This study mainly focuses on the mechanical properties of PLA parts printed with filament exposed to UV light to mimic the effect of recycled filament. Three radiation periods were studied, respectively, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Tensile tests were carried out to characterize the influence of building orientation (On flat/on-edge) and raster angles (0°, 45°, 90°, 0°/90°, −45°/+45°). Failure modes were also discussed. Printed specimens were subjected to water absorption to assess the mechanical properties in real application. Generally with the same raster angle, the interlayer structure of specimens manufactured in on-edge orientation has greater adhesion than the specimens in flat orientation. The results show that mechanical properties are lower in case of flat building orientation and the raster angle has the same trend in both orientations. Elsewhere, edge orientation exhibited lower water absorption thanks to the inwall that protected the printed part. UV radiation enhances the interface between printed layers for the lower period. The mechanical properties were affected by the degradation of the bulk material in the direction of 90°.