Study of Effect of Process Parameters on Mechanical Properties of Build Parts Using Fused Deposition Modeling: Medical Application

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing technology has become increasingly important in producing economic products at a faster rate in many industries. Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is an efficient 3D printing technique designed to create functional, customized parts with no tooling required. Despite having various advantages, FDM still faces challenges in building parts. It is due to various process variables, including build direction, layer height, air gap, raster angle, infill type, and percentages. These affect mechanical behavior, parts’ quality, dimensional accuracy, and process time. It is crucial to understand the properties and the impact of various process variables in a printing material based on the intended use. However, this task is complicated due to the numerous combinations of materials, slicing software, and process parameters. This chapter focuses on gathering the information associated with mechanical research for different polymers at various process behaviors based on potential applications. This chapter will examine the work that has been done till now to refine the process variables for FDM and create samples utilizing different composite materials. Additionally, the chapter will introduce optimization methods, and algorithms that can be used for optimization of parameters based on mathematical equations for different output responses. Overall, the chapter presents FDM process parameters and optimization techniques. © 2026 selection and editorial matter, Anshuman Kumar Sahu and Siba Sankar Mahapatra; individual chapters, the contributors.