Three-Point Bending Response of Nylon 12 Obtained by Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) Versus Selective Laser Sintering (SLS)

This study analyses the three-point bending behavior of Nylon 12 (PA12) specimens produced using two additive manufacturing technologies (i.e., fused filament fabrication and selective laser sintering). A Nylon 12 commercially available filament (from Fiberlab S.A.) was selected to employ the fused filament fabrication method (FFF) with a Prusa 3D desktop printer, whereas Nylon 12 sintering powder (from Formlabs Inc.) was chosen for selective laser sintering (SLS) using a benchtop industrial SLS platform, Formlabs Fuse 1, with a powder refresh ratio of 30%. The bending strength and flexural elasticity moduli were determined by following ISO 178:2019 standard specifications to assess the effect of two different technologies on the mechanical behavior of three-point bending specimens produced in three distinct build orientations (i.e., 0°, 45°, and 90°) relative to the printing platform. One-way ANOVA analysis, Tukey’s HSD, and Games-Howell tests are considered to assess the statistical variability of experimental data and compare the mean values of bending strength and flexural moduli. The testing results for the three orientations under question show notable differences and interesting similarities either in terms of strength or elasticity response for a significance p-level of 0.05.