Abstract

Additive Manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, fabricates physical objects by successively adding layers of material. This technology is widely utilized for producing both metallic and non-metallic components. In particular, 3D printing has simplified the design, modification, and testing of non-metallic materials such as hyperelastic, thermoplastic, and rubber-like substances. However, accurate material modeling and validation are essential for analyzing these materials effectively. This study investigates the mechanical behavior of 3D-printed polylactic acid (PLA) under varying temperatures through numerical validation, complementing experimental analysis. Specimens were designed in SolidWorks according to ASTM D638 dimensional standards, with 100% infill density and a grid orientation angle of 0 degrees. The infill density and orientation angle significantly influence the mechanical properties of the specimens. The study focuses on three temperature conditions (20°C, 30°C, and 40°C) using a non-linear hyperelastic model (Neo Hookean, Mooney-rivlin 2 parameter, and Yeoh 3rd order). Results demonstrate that temperature variations impact PLA's mechanical behavior. All these models were identified as the suitable hyperelastic models for these conditions, with Neo-Hookean offering simplicity due to its single-parameter formulation. Additionally, a new equation was developed to estimate the model parameter of Neo Hookean for different temperature.