Structural integrity of adhesively bonded 3D-printed joints

Fabrication of polymeric components with complex geometry has been increased in the recent years. As additive manufacturing (AM) showed its unique capabilities, it has been widely used in production of geometrically-complex parts. Although various types of bonding have been developed, utilizing adhesive joints is common in different polymeric structures. In the current study, influence of 3D printing parameters and adhesive thickness on the performance of adhesively bonded joints have been studied. To this aim, we have used fused deposition modeling (FDM) process and polylactic acid (PLA) material to fabricate single-lap joints. The specimens are fabricated under different printing conditions to determine influence of printing parameters on the mechanical behavior of the joints. Moreover, adhesive with three different thicknesses was used to investigate effect of adhesive thickness on the structural integrity of the 3D-printed joints. Additionally, a series of finite element analysis was performed and agreement between experimental observation and numerical results has been documented. As FDM process has garnered significant attention, the outcomes of this study can be used for further development.