Optimization of Dual Extrusion Fused Filament Fabrication Process Parameters for 3D Printed Nylon-Reinforced Composites: Pathway to Mobile and Transportation Revolution

Abstract

<div>Nylon polymer with an optimal blend of Kevlar, fiberglass, and high-speed, high temperature (HSHT) Fiberglass offers improved characteristics such as flexural strength, wear resistance, electrical insulation, shock absorption, and a low friction coefficient. For this reason, the polymer composite manufactured by combining HSHT, Kevlar, and fiberglass with nylon as base material will expand the uses of nylon in the aerospace, automotive, and other industrial applications related to ergonomic tools, assembly trays, and so forth. The proposed work was carried out to investigate the continuous fiber reinforcement (CFR) in nylon polymer using a dual extrusion system. Twenty experimental runs were designed using a face-centered central composite design (FCCD) approach to analyze the influence of significant factors such as reinforcement material, infill pattern, and fiber angle on the fabricated specimen as per American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) standards. The tensile strength, percentage elongation, and surface roughness of each test specimen (ASTM) have been investigated using the universal testing machine (UTM) and a surface roughness tester. A set of regression equations connecting process input factors and output features have been derived using the response surface methodology (RSM). In addition, the MOGA-ANN method is employed to achieve the multi-response targets. The results show that the best tensile strength and surface roughness are achieved with a 64.5-degree fiber angle, fiberglass CFR, and a triangular infill pattern, while the best balance and optimal response are achieved with a 49.2575-degree fiber angle, a rectangular fill pattern, and fiberglass reinforcement using the MOGA-ANN evolutionary hybrid algorithm. With MOGA-ANN, the least surface roughness of 1.43158 microns, maximum tensile strength, and percentage elongation of 37.869 MPa and 51.05% were attained at these parameters, and the same has been validated experimentally.</div>