Experimental and numerical study of the influence of FFF process parameters on the flexural properties of 3D printed medical devices and personal protective equipment

3D printers are increasingly used after the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. This machine was used to overcome the lack of medical devices and personal protective equipment. In order for printed objects to be useful in the medical field, the mechanical properties of these objects must be known. The main objective of this study is to assess the mechanical properties of parts manufactured in polylactic acid by a 3D printer machine. The mechanical properties are determined from the experimental results of the three-point bending test. The results obtained show that the mechanical properties depend on the process parameters. The analysis of variance was used to determine the printing parameters that have a statistically significant effect on the mechanical properties. The optimal printing parameters are determined to manufacture parts with high mechanical performance and used them in complete safety. The finite element analysis was performed using ANSYS mechanical APDL software to validate the experimental results.