| Abstract Scope |
The primary objective of this work is to investigate the influence of 3D printing parameters, particularly raster angle, on surface roughness after micro-milling 316L stainless steel parts produced using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM/FFF) technology. Stainless steel samples are fabricated using BASF Ultrafuse 316L filament (1.75 mm diameter, 80 wt.% stainless steel powder, 20 wt.% resin) with a MakerBot Method X 3D printer. Parts are printed at raster angles of 0°, 30°, and 45° in both flat and edge-building orientations with varying layer thicknesses. Following printing, parts are sintered in a tube furnace to obtain pure stainless-steel samples. Micro-milling is performed with machining directions aligned with and at 30° to the raster direction. Surface roughness measurements assess the relationship between machining direction, raster angle, and building orientation. The apparent and relative densities of sintered parts are determined to establish correlations between surface roughness, raster angle, and density. |