Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is capable of producing complicated geometries and a variety of thermoplastic or composite products. Thus, it is critical to carry out the relationship between the process parameters, the finished part’s quality, and the part’s mechanical performance. In this study, the optimum printing parameters of FDM using oil palm fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites were investigated. The layer thickness, orientation, infill density, and printing speed were selected as optimization parameters. The mechanical properties of printed specimens were examined using tensile and flexural tests. The experiments were designed using a Taguchi experimental design using a L₉ orthogonal array with four factors, and three levels. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant parameter or factor that influences the responses, including tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and flexural strength. The fractured surface of printed parts was investigate using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show the tensile strength of the printed specimens ranged from 0.95 to 35.38 MPa, the Young’s modulus from 0.11 to 1.88 GPa, and the flexural strength from 2.50 to 31.98 MPa. In addition, build orientation had the largest influence on tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and flexural strength. The optimum printing parameter for FDM using oil palm fiber composite was 0.4 mm layer thickness, flat (0 degree) of orientation, 50% infill density, and 10 mm/s printing speed. The results of SEM images demonstrate that the number of voids seems to be much bigger when the layer thickness is increased, and the flat orientation has a considerable influence on the bead structure becoming tougher. In a nutshell, these findings will be a valuable 3D printing dataset for other researchers who utilize this material.

Today, additive manufacturing (AM) is the most recent technology used to produce detailed and complexly built parts for a variety of applications. The most emphasis has been given to fused deposition modeling (FDM) in the development and manufacturing fields. Natural fibers have received attention in the area of 3D printing to be employed as bio-filters with thermoplastics, which have prompted an effort for more ecologically acceptable methods of manufacturing. The development of natural fiber composite filaments for FDM requires meticulous methods and in-depth knowledge of the properties of natural fibers and their matrices. Thus, this paper reviews natural fiber-based 3D printing filaments. It covers the fabrication method and characterization of thermoplastic materials blended with natural fiber-produced wire filament. The characterization of wire filament includes the mechanical properties, dimension stability, morphological study, and surface quality. There is also a discussion of the difficulties in developing a natural fiber composite filament. Last but not least, the prospects of natural fiber-based filaments for FDM 3D printing are also discussed. It is hoped that, after reading this article, readers will have enough knowledge regarding how natural fiber composite filament for FDM is created.

The most modern technique utilized to create intricate manufactured parts for a variety of applications is called additive manufacturing (AM). Fused deposition modeling (FDM) has been acknowledged as the greatest consideration in the development and industrial sectors. The main objective of this study was to investigate how printing factors affected the mechanical characteristics of printed samples. Samples were produced via an FDM 3D printer in compliance with an ASTM D638 using a variety of input settings, including orientation, layer thickness, speed, and infill pattern. Tensile tests and morphological analysis using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) were done on the printed samples. The results of this study demonstrate that factors including layer thickness, printing speed, and orientation significantly affect the tensile strength of the ABS-printed samples. The 45° orientations, 0.3 mm thickness, and normal speed had a significant impact on the tensile strength of the ABS-printed samples. On the other hand, samples with a 90° orientation, 0.4 mm thickness, and fast speed show better elongation performance than other samples, according to Young’s modulus results. The SEM results for microscopic analysis show that samples S2 (loose infill, 45° orientation, 0.3 mm thickness, and normal speed), S5 (solid infill, 45° orientation, 0.3 mm thickness, and normal speed), and S8 (hollow infill, 45° orientation, 0.3 mm thickness, and normal speed) had a highly packed structure and robust. Discovering the parameter settings that could lead to greater mechanical and physical characteristics would undoubtedly assist designers and manufacturers worldwide as the FDM 3D printer becomes more and more crucial in manufacturing engineering parts.

In the development and manufacturing industries, fused deposition modeling (FDM) receives the greatest attention. It is the most important additive manufacturing (AM) technique, which refers to the process of depositing multiple layers of material in a computer-controlled environment to form a three-dimensional product. Research is presently focusing on the development of 3D printed bio-composite polymers with improved performance. Many studies on the development of new composite materials using natural fiber as a feedstock filament for FDM have recently been published. As a result, conducting a rheology characteristics analysis of new composite materials made from natural resources is required. Its major purpose is to describe the flow behavior of the fiber composite material and determine the optimal melting temperature for the extrusion process of producing wire filament. Thus, this paper focuses on rheological properties of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite for FDM.