Post-Ultraviolet-Curing Process Effects on Low-Velocity Impact Response of 3D Printed Polylactic Acid Parts

Abstract

In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) parts produced with the 3D fused deposition modelling (FDM) technique were cured with ultraviolet irradiation (post-UV-curing) after production, and the low-velocity impact behaviour of the parts was experimentally investigated. Accordingly, PLA parts were subjected to post-UV-curing at 15-, 30-, 45-, and 60-minute periods. The impact behaviour of the specimens produced with production parameters of 200 °C printing temperature, 0.2 mm layer thickness, 50 mm/s printing speed, 100% infill rate, and 45° raster angle was compared with the raw specimens after the post-UV-curing process was applied. As a result of the impact tests, peak force, peak displacement, peak energy, and puncture energy values were obtained from the force-displacement graphs. It has been revealed that the post-UV-curing implementation increases the peak force values of PLA specimens and decreases the displacement values compared to the raw specimens. All specimens' impact behaviour improves with the post-UV-curing process; however, a decreasing trend is entered after 30 min.