Fuzzy set-based methodology for manufacturing parameter determination of 3D-printed polylactide components with user-specified strength, geometrical design, and cost requirements

A computational data-driven fuzzy set-based methodology is proposed and applied to determine, with high accuracy, the manufacturing parameters of 3D-printed polylactide (PLA) components, ensuring user-specified failure tensile strength and design requirements (here: the notch root radius). Hence, the novel decision-making tool to estimate 3D-printing process parameters is offered, ensuring desired design characteristics and the mechanical performance. The estimated manufacturing angle and infill density have been adjusted to provide meaningful values for real applications, still resulting in accurate predictions through the validation process. Following the success of these design and strength driven estimations, an extension of the proposed methodology to the cost-saving problem has then been suggested by introducing printing period and material cost as extra inputs to the decision-making process.