Anisotropic Tensile Properties of Polylactic Acid Material at Different 3D Printing Conditions

Additive manufacturing (AM) utilizes anisotropic materials with mechanical properties varying by printing variables. Polylactic acid (PLA), common in three‐dimensional (3D) printing, provides strength and ductility variations regarding printing conditions. The most previous investigations are highlighted fundamentally across the printing variables, specifically infill density, layer heights, nozzle diameter and orientation, etc. In addition, most works studied experimentally strength as a response without predication or ANOVA technique. Nevertheless, when it comes to experimentally studying the infill density, printing temperature, and orientation besides analytically through ANOVA, this proposal was found limited in these literatures. This research examined the influence of printing parameters, namely, infill density (70%, 80%, 90%, and 100%), temperature (200°, 215°, and 230°C), and orientation (flat, on edge, and upright) on the tensile behavior (tensile stress and elongation percentage) of PLA material along with utilizing ANOVA to determine the significance of each variable. Results showed samples with 100% infill at 230°C and flat or on edge orientations provided the highest tensile strength about 56 MPa with lower ductility around 14% elongation, while upright orientation resulted in lower elongation and strength. ANOVA identified infill density and orientation as most critical followed by temperature, with the model’s optimal predicted tensile strength (52.06 MPa) related to the experimental results (55.60 MPa). To enhance PLA part strength, high infill, increased temperature, and flat orientation are recommended, while lower infill or decreased temperature suits applications requiring higher ductility; these insights guide designers in customizing 3D‐printed PLA parts for particular requirements.