Assessing the Impact of Post-Processing Variables on Tensile and Compression Characteristics for 3D Printed Components

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a relatively new family of manufacturing technologies which fabricate components by stacking two dimensional slices to create a three dimensional component. Since its inception this field of technology has grown quickly. The 3D Printing (3DP) process builds brittle components as a powder is set with a weak binder material; however, the component strength characteristics can be significantly modified when infiltrating the component during post processing operations. The goal of this research is to understand the ‘green’ component mechanical characteristics, and the different factors that can influence the mechanical properties when engaging in post-processing operations for 3DP components in a comprehensive manner. Consequently, designers will not only be able to more confidently predict the material properties of their 3D printed part, but they will be able to tailor the fabrication variables beforehand to build a part with the desired mechanical characteristics.