Comparison of textured nylon surfaces manufactured by CNC micromachining and 3D printing

Patterned surfaces can be designed and engineered to control friction and wear resistance in various applications. In the present work, a comparative analysis of two contrasting manufacturing processes for surface texturing of polyamide, namely 3D printing by fused filament fabrication (FFF) and CNC micromachining (micro CNC) as additive and subtractive manufacturing techniques respectively was carried out. The analysis included the evaluation of the topography, roughness, mechanical properties, and tribological performance of the texturized surfaces. Both manufacturing routes were suitable for fabricating deterministic surfaces, being the micro CNC method the one that provided better repeatability and surface finishing as well as higher hardness. These factors influenced the tribological behavior of the polyamide when in contact with AISI 304 stainless steel. The effects of size, distribution and height of the texture elements and the manufacturing technique on the Coefficient of Friction (COF) were also discussed.