Experimental and Numerical Investigation of 3D-Printed Bone Plates Under Four-Point Bending Load Utilizing Machine Learning Techniques

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) technique is widely used to produce components for various applications and has the potential to revolutionize orthopedic research through the production of custom-fit and readily available biomedical implants. Providing more data on the mechanical performance of 3D-printed bone plate specimens by the optimization of process parameters will increase the integration of the FDM methodology within more orthopedic applications. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of raster angle orientation, layer thickness, and thermal annealing under static tensile and four-point bending loads. Finite element (FE) analysis is applied to assess the validity of the elastoplastic and damage response of the model that replicates a FDM part by comparison of numerical and experimental data.