OPTIMIZING LASER FINISHING PARAMETERS TO IMPROVE SURFACE QUALITY OF FDM-PRINTED PLA AND ABS COMPONENTS

Radu Emanuil PETRUSE, Nicolae-Claudiu GRESOIU

Abstract


Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) is a widely adopted additive manufacturing technique but often produces parts with suboptimal surface finish and dimensional accuracy. This study explores laser finishing as a post-processing technique to enhance the surface quality of FDM components made from PLA, ABS, and PET-G. Using a Taguchi design of experiments, key laser parameters—power, scanning direction, feed rate, and pass spacing—were systematically optimized. Results showed significant reductions in surface roughness (Ra and Rz) for PLA and ABS under distinct conditions. PLA achieved the smoothest finish with 1200 mW laser power, 45° direction, 100 mm/min feed rate, and 0.2 mm pass spacing. ABS required higher laser power and perpendicular scanning for optimal results. PET-G could not be effectively finished under tested settings. Additionally, printing parameters such as nozzle diameter and speed were found to critically influence the initial roughness. This work provides a validated framework for selecting laser finishing conditions tailored to material behaviour, contributing to enhanced surface quality and functional performance in FDM-printed parts.

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References


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