Experimental evaluation of vibrational dynamic performance of additively manufactured polymer turbine blade models

Additive manufacturing (AM) offers an efficient approach for fabricating polymer materials with controlled geometries and tunable properties for advanced engineering applications. Understanding the relationship between material properties and dynamic behavior is critical when such materials are employed in functional components. In this study, the structure property correlation and vibrational response of an additively manufactured polymer turbine blade are experimentally investigated. The dynamic response and modal characteristics were evaluated under simulated boundary conditions using a custom-designed vibration testing setup. Particular emphasis is placed on instrumentation, testing safety, process parameters, material selection, and reliable data interpretation. The experimentally obtained vibrational behavior of the polymer blade is compared with the expected response of metallic turbine blades through finite element analysis, material property scaling, and empirical correlations. The study demonstrates the potential of additive manufacturing as a rapid and cost-effective approach for preliminary vibration testing and dynamic assessment of turbine blade designs. This result highlights the potential of polymer-based additive manufacturing as a material-driven platform for early-stage evaluation of vibration-sensitive structures. SLS-fabricated polymer turbine blade evaluated experimentally. Natural frequencies identified using modal vibration testing. First and second modes observed at 152 Hz and 872 Hz. Buckingham Pi scaling used for steel blade frequency prediction. Additive manufacturing enables rapid dynamic prototype assessment.