Analysis of 3D Printing Process Parameters and Applications for Wood-plastic Composite Filaments

Abstract

To enhance the forming quality of wood-plastic composite (WPC) models manufactured by fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing, particularly in terms of surface quality and mechanical properties, this study analysed the 3D printing process parameters (layer height, extrusion ratio, and printing speed) for WPC filaments. Through surface roughness and tensile property tests, the optimal combination of process parameters for achieving the best forming quality was determined. Based on the optimized parameters, FFF technology and WPC filament were applied to practice 3D printing of wooden crafts. Experimental results showed that as the layer height decreases, extrusion ratio increases, and printing speed decreases, both the arithmetic average roughness (R_a) and average maximum height (R_z) of the WPC models decreased, leading to a significant improvement in surface quality. Concurrently, the mechanical properties of the WPC models were enhanced due to the increase in ultimate strength and elongation at break. Under the process conditions of 0.1 mm layer height, 110% extrusion ratio, and 20 mm/s printing speed, the printed wooden bowl and spoon exhibited excellent surface quality and favorable mechanical properties, providing a valuable reference for the application of 3D printing in the rapid fabrication of wooden crafts.