Experimental investigation and optimization of the effect garnet vibratory tumbling as a post-process on the surface quality of 3D printed PLA parts

Abstract

The method known as additive manufacturing causes high surface roughness between layers depending on the technique used at the end of the product development process. This can be an important problem in three-dimensional (3D) manufacturing depending on the usage area. To solve this problem, this experimental study investigated the effect of vibratory rolling (VT) on surface roughness in 3D printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) parts using garnet abrasive particles. Optimization with the best parameters was also performed and the results were analyzed. The surface roughness (Ra) values were measured at different vibration durations for each mesh size. The study involved subjecting the printed parts to vibratory tumbling using garnet abrasive particles of various mesh sizes (80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, and 220 mesh). Surface roughness measurements were taken at different vibration durations (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 hours) for each mesh size. A surface roughness measuring device was used to obtain the roughness values. The findings reveal that vibratory tumbling with garnet abrasive particles effectively reduces surface roughness in 3D printed parts. As the vibration duration increased, smoother surfaces were achieved. The surface roughness of the printed samples was reduced by 60% on average by using the optimum values after post-process.