Identification of optimal process parameter settings based on manufacturing performance for fused filament fabrication of CFR-PEEK

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) has been proven to be an effective additive manufacturing technique for carbon fiber reinforced polyether-ether-ketone (CFR-PEEK) due to its practicality in use. However, the relationships between the process parameters and their trade-offs in manufacturing performance have not been extensively studied for CFR-PEEK although they are essential to identify the optimal parameter settings. This study therefore investigates the impact of critical FFF parameters (i.e., layer thickness, build orientation, and printing speed) on the manufacturing performance (i.e., printing time, dimensional accuracy, and material cost) of CFR-PEEK outputs. A full factorial design of the experiments is performed for each of the three sample designs to identify the optimal parameter combinations for each performance measure. In addition, multiple response optimization was used to derive optimal parameter settings for the overall performance. The results show that the optimal parameter settings depend on the performance measures regardless of the designs, and that the layer thickness plays a critical role in the performance trade-offs. In addition, lower layer thickness, horizontal orientation, and higher speed form the optimal settings to maximize the overall performance. The findings from this study indicate that FFF parameter settings for CFR-PEEK should be identified through multi-objective decision making that involves conflicts between the operational objectives for the parameter settings.