Process optimization of compressive property and dimensional error on wood polylactic acid gyroid-structured polymer composite

In the fused deposition modeling (FDM) process, various thermoplastic filaments may be used as a feedstock material for the component fabrication. The present study involves incorporating a gyroid structure in wood/polylactic acid (PLA) polymer composite. The strength of the sample may reduce while incorporating lattice structure in PLA polymeric samples. There are certain difficulties due to the wide availability of process parameters that may vary the quality and strength during the fabrication of the sample through the FDM process. Determining the influence of certain important process parameters such as raster angle, layer thickness, and wall thickness is carried out in this research to attain higher mechanical strength and less dimensional error in the geometry of the fabricated sample. Taguchi L₉ orthogonal array is used in these experiments to optimize process parameters in the gyroid incorporated samples. The output responses in the present study are compressive strength and dimensional error. Both the output responses were predicted using the ANOVA technique. Both the output responses are greatly influenced by the raster angle with the value of 60.78% in compressive strength and 90.43% in the dimensional error, and Wall thickness is the least influenced process parameter with the value of 7.17% in compressive strength and 0.93% in dimensional error. The sequential order of influencing process parameters in both the compressive strength and dimensional error were raster angle > layer thickness > wall thickness. 31.019 MPa of compressive strength was observed in the confirmational compression test. The prepared composite can be used as a structural material in the replacement of balusters and handrails.