Considering machine- and process-specific influences to create custom-built specimens for the Fused Deposition Modeling process

Compared to conventional polymer processing technologies the material selection in the Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process is restricted. To expand the range of materials the requirements for the material properties and the semi-finished products (filaments) must be clarified. For this, a machine- and process-independent rating of the processability is necessary. The established standards for the tensile strength test apply to specimens with nearly isotropic mechanical properties. The FDM process generates anisotropic parts. The properties are mainly influenced by the machine quality and the data processing. It is not possible to test a material for FDM independently of the machine and the data processing. In this paper, machine and process specific influences are investigated. Considering these influences, a custom-built specimen is created to test the tensile strength of the welding seams for polyamide 6. This procedure allows a machine- and process-independent rating of the processability in terms of tensile strength for different materials.