In the modern era of manufacturing techniques, 3D printing or additive manufacturing has been
one of the most transformative, and has revolutionized manufacturing possibilities by offering
new solutions. Designs that make use of additive manufacturing can be more complex with
regards to what materials are used, whether metallic or not. Out of the various materials and
methods, the one our study will be focusing on is that of FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling)
printing using PLA filament. More specifically, the slicing process requires several parameters to
be set beforehand, such as infill density, infill pattern, thickness of layers, speed and the
presence of supports for overhangs. The parameter our study revolves around here is that of
part orientation, while keeping all other parameters constant across 3 different orientation
specimens, of 0, 30 and 90 degrees relative to the printing bed.
The growing use of 3D printing in sectors like healthcare, aerospace, and automotive is what
makes this study relevant. Understanding the effect of part orientation may direct the creation of
dependable, high-performance components, which are necessary in these domains that require
strong, application-specific designs. In particular, FDM printing has gained widespread use in
sectors including aerospace, healthcare, and automotive because of its affordability and
adaptability. In applications that need minimal environmental impact and manufacturing
simplicity, PLA—a biodegradable and reasonably priced thermoplastic—has become the
material of choice (Hamid et al., 2022). Because print orientation directly affects mechanical
performance, anisotropy, and interlayer adhesion—all of which are essential to the structural
integrity of the printed parts—it is imperative to examine it.
Throughout our pre-experimental study of previous literature regarding the same topic, we
encountered similar studies and research conducted on PLA, ABS FDM printing specimens with
changes in orientation as well, as well as additional literature on SLS printing with more
thorough analysis using electron microscopy to more closely observe material behaviour during
tensile testing (Monkova et al., 2024). From the literature review and prior knowledge, we can
predict to an extent that the general tensile properties of the specimens that the 0 degree can
be expected to have the strongest tensile and yield strength, far surpassing the other two
orientations, due to the construction and the bonding between layers being much stronger and
having better interlayer adhesion since it would have layers printing on top of each other
lengthwise, rather than across its height. This behaviour seems to be different with other
materials even in FDM printing techniques such as ABS filament displaying an inverse reaction
to the orientation influence.
PLA filament's extensive use in manufacturing and prototyping because of its low cost, simplicity
of processing, and biodegradability justifies its selection for this investigation. FDM printing is
the perfect technique to investigate the mechanical effects of part orientation on component
strength because of its accessibility and adaptability. Furthermore, we can verify the accuracy of
our own findings and steer our approaches in the proper direction thanks to the availability of
previous research on PLA in particular. Because of their superior molecular alignment and
interlayer cohesion, PLA specimens printed at a 0° orientation aligned with the tensile axis had
the maximum tensile strength, according to Hamid et al. (2022). The 90° orientation, on the
other hand, performs the worst because delamination results from weak interlayer adhesion.
Similarly, Domínguez-Rodríguez et al. (2017) highlighted the anisotropic nature of FDM-printed
materials, showing that alignment with load direction significantly enhances compressive
strength and stiffness, so we can assume a similar pattern or relationship going forward and
have an idea of what to expect of our own findings, as well as the reasoning behind them.
Furthermore, the research's conclusions can be used practically in the design of lightweight
buildings, load-bearing elements, and customized mechanical components for vital industries.
Improved design principles that lessen the need for overengineering and increase resource
efficiency can result from a deeper understanding of orientation effects.
Overall, we aim to reinforce these predictions throughout our study and hope to provide
valuable insight into the behaviour of parts made from 3D printing with PLA filament, and make
informed design considerations for such parts going forward. This aligns with broader themes of
sustainable and efficient manufacturing, where additive techniques play a key role in reducing
waste and optimizing material use for diverse applications.
Hamid, N. R. A., Husni, N. S. N. H., Ito, N. T., & Linke, N. B. S. (2022). Effect of printing
orientation and layer thickness on microstructure and mechanical properties of PLA parts.
Malaysian Journal on Composites Science and Manufacturing, 8(1), 11–23.
Domínguez-Rodríguez, G., Ku-Herrera, J. J., & Hernández-Pérez, A. (2017). An assessment of
the effect of printing orientation, density, and filler pattern on the compressive performance of
3D printed ABS structures by fuse deposition. The International Journal of Advanced
Manufacturing Technology, 95(5-8), 1685–1695.
Monkova, K., Papadopoulou, S., Bouzouni, M., Toulfatzis, A., & Pantazopoulos, G. (2024). The
effect of 3D printing orientation on tensile behaviour and fracture mechanisms of Inconel 718.
Engineering Failure Analysis, 166, 108920. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2024.108920
Syaefudin, E. A., Kholil, A., Hakim, M., Wulandari, D. A., Riyadi, & Murtinugraha, E. (2023). The
effect of orientation on tensile strength 3D printing with ABS and PLA materials. Journal of
Physics: Conference Series, 2596(1), 012002.
