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Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is one of the layer-based technologies that fall under the umbrella term "Additive Manufacturing", where the desired part is created through the successive layer-by-layer addition process with high accuracy using computer-aided design data. Additive manufacturing technology, or as it is commonly known, 3D (three-dimensional) printing, is a rapidly growing sector of manufacturing that is incorporated in automotive, aerospace, biomedical, and many other fields. This work explores the impact of the Additive Manufacturing process on the mechanical proprieties of the fabricated part. To conduct this study, the 3D printed tensile specimens are designed according to the ASTM D638 standards and printed from a digital template file using the FDM 3D printer Raise3D N2. The material chosen for this 3D printing parameter optimization is Polylactic acid (PLA). The FDM process parameters that were studied in this work are the infill pattern, the infill density, and the infill cell orientation. These factors' effects on the tensile behavior of printed parts were analyzed by the design of experiments method, using the statistical software MINITAB2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has emerged as an innovative technology that gives designers several advantages, such as geometric freedom of design and less waste. However, the quality of the parts produced is affected by different design and manufacturing parameters, such as the part orientation, the nozzle temperature and speed, the support material, and the layer thickness. In this context, the layer thickness is considered an important AM parameter affecting the part quality and accuracy. Thus, in this paper, a new adaptative slicing method based on the cusp vector and the surface deviation is proposed with the aim of minimizing the dimensional defects of FFF printed parts and investigate the impact on the dimensional part tolerancing. An algorithm is developed to automatically extract data from the STL file, select the build orientation, and detect intersection points between the initial slicing and the STL mesh. The innovation of this algorithm is exhibited via adapting the slicing according to the surface curvature based on two factors: the cusp vector and the surface deviation. The suggested slicing technique guarantees dimensional accuracy, especially for complex feature shapes that are challenging to achieve using a uniform slicing approach. Finally, a preview of the slicing is displayed, and the G-code is generated to be used by the FFF machine. The case study consists of the dimensional tolerance inspection of prototypes manufactured using the conventional and adaptive slicing processes. The proposed method's effectiveness is investigated using RE and CMM processes. The method demonstrates its reliability through the observed potential for accuracy improvements exceeding 0.6% and cost savings of up to 4.3% in specific scenarios. This reliability is substantiated by comparing the resulting dimensional tolerances and manufacturing costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]