Research of the Pre-Processing Strategy Influence on the Tribological Properties of PEI Processed by Fused Filament Fabrication Technology

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) layer generation strategies on abrasive wear resistance and compare the material loss of PEI (polyetherimide) plastic specimens based on different specimen building strategies. The study also compares a newly proposed path generation strategy (parallel paths in layers with 0.25 mm displacement of alternate layers) with samples from a previous study where samples were printed without displacement of alternate layers, i.e., layers stacked perpendicularly to each other. The primary focus was on the weight loss due to abrasive wear before and after the test. The tests were conducted on a tribometer constructed according to ASTM G65/16 standards using dry sand. Two printing directions were examined: X (longitudinal) and Z (portrait) orientations. For X construction, three orientations of deposition path generation were utilized, resulting in three samples for each orientation (nine samples in total for X construction). The same approach was applied to Z construction, resulting in another nine samples. In total, 18 samples were produced and tested. The deposited infill path width was 0.5 mm, and the layer thickness used in printing was 0.254 mm. Garnet abrasive Fe₃Al₂(SiO₄)₃ was employed in this test. Analysis of the experimental data revealed a relationship between the construction method (X and Z orientations) and the variation in different orientations (1X-3X and 1Z-3Z). The research results can be categorized as overall and partial. The overall results indicate poorer wear resistance for 1X-3X and 1Z-3Z specimens, while the partial results illustrate the findings within each individual specimen.