Effects of Defects on Mechanical Strength in Fused Deposition Modeling
In recent history, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) has become a popular method for producing parts due to its simplicity and cost effectiveness. However, common defects have led to unexpected results as misprints can affect the strength of the printed samples. This study explored the effects of defects by tensile testing samples with different defects and comparing strengths relative to one another. Nondefective samples, samples with layer shifts at the gauge length, samples with a seam down the center of the gauge length, and samples with periodic bumps were all tested to gather data to compare the strengths of the of the parts. As expected, all of the defects lowered the strengths of the parts, however, some parts became much weaker than others.