Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens

Materials are a mainstay of both industry and everyday life. The manufacturing and processing of materials is a very important sector as it affects both the mechanical properties and the usage of the final products. In recent years, the increased use of 3D printing and, by extension, its materials h...

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Main Authors: Athanasios Manavis, Anastasios Tzotzis, Lazaros Firtikiadis, Panagiotis Kyratsis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Machines
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/2/86
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author Athanasios Manavis
Anastasios Tzotzis
Lazaros Firtikiadis
Panagiotis Kyratsis
author_facet Athanasios Manavis
Anastasios Tzotzis
Lazaros Firtikiadis
Panagiotis Kyratsis
author_sort Athanasios Manavis
collection DOAJ
description Materials are a mainstay of both industry and everyday life. The manufacturing and processing of materials is a very important sector as it affects both the mechanical properties and the usage of the final products. In recent years, the increased use of 3D printing and, by extension, its materials have caused the creation of gaps in terms of strength that require further scientific study. In this study, the influence of various printing parameters on 3D-printed specimens made of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) polymer was tested. More specifically, three printing parameters were selected—infill, speed, and type—with three different values each (50%, 70%, and 90%), (5 mm/s, 20 mm/s, and 35 mm/s) and (Grid, Rectilinear, and Wiggle). From the combinations of the three parameters and the three values, 27 different specimens were obtained and thus, 27 equivalent experiments were designed. The measurements were evaluated, and the process was modeled with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method, revealing a strong and robust prediction model for the tensile test, with the relative error being below 10%. Both infill density and infill pattern were identified as the most influential parameters, with the Wiggle type being the strongest pattern of all. Additionally, it was found that the infill density acts increasingly on the strength, whereas the printing speed acts decreasingly.
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spelling doaj-art-c934f4c14aaf4bc781995ba1120e8dca2025-08-20T03:12:15ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022025-01-011328610.3390/machines13020086Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile SpecimensAthanasios Manavis0Anastasios Tzotzis1Lazaros Firtikiadis2Panagiotis Kyratsis3Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kila Kozani, GreeceDepartment of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kila Kozani, GreeceDepartment of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kila Kozani, GreeceDepartment of Product and Systems Design Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, 50100 Kila Kozani, GreeceMaterials are a mainstay of both industry and everyday life. The manufacturing and processing of materials is a very important sector as it affects both the mechanical properties and the usage of the final products. In recent years, the increased use of 3D printing and, by extension, its materials have caused the creation of gaps in terms of strength that require further scientific study. In this study, the influence of various printing parameters on 3D-printed specimens made of polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) polymer was tested. More specifically, three printing parameters were selected—infill, speed, and type—with three different values each (50%, 70%, and 90%), (5 mm/s, 20 mm/s, and 35 mm/s) and (Grid, Rectilinear, and Wiggle). From the combinations of the three parameters and the three values, 27 different specimens were obtained and thus, 27 equivalent experiments were designed. The measurements were evaluated, and the process was modeled with the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) method, revealing a strong and robust prediction model for the tensile test, with the relative error being below 10%. Both infill density and infill pattern were identified as the most influential parameters, with the Wiggle type being the strongest pattern of all. Additionally, it was found that the infill density acts increasingly on the strength, whereas the printing speed acts decreasingly.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/2/86artificial neural networkfused filament fabricationPETGtensile testing3D printing
spellingShingle Athanasios Manavis
Anastasios Tzotzis
Lazaros Firtikiadis
Panagiotis Kyratsis
Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
Machines
artificial neural network
fused filament fabrication
PETG
tensile testing
3D printing
title Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
title_full Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
title_fullStr Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
title_full_unstemmed Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
title_short Artificial Neural Network-Based Structural Analysis of 3D-Printed Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol Tensile Specimens
title_sort artificial neural network based structural analysis of 3d printed polyethylene terephthalate glycol tensile specimens
topic artificial neural network
fused filament fabrication
PETG
tensile testing
3D printing
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/2/86
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AT lazarosfirtikiadis artificialneuralnetworkbasedstructuralanalysisof3dprintedpolyethyleneterephthalateglycoltensilespecimens
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