Materials Today: Proceedings 62 (2022) 7391–7395

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An insight into the effect of printing orientation on tensile strength of

multi-infill pattern 3D printed specimen: Experimental study
Mahesh Naik ⇑, D.G. Thakur, Sunil Chandel
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Defence Institute of Advanced Technology(DU), Pune 411025, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: This research aims to investigate printing orientation effect on tensile properties of Multi-Infill Pattern
Available online 24 February 2022 (MIP) specimens fabricated by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM). The material selected for fabrication
of specimen is Poly-lactic Acid (PLA), and the thermal stability of PLA material was examined using
Keywords: Thermal Gravimetric Analysis (TGA). The print orientation selected in this study were flat and on-edge
3D printing orientation. The up-right orientation was not considered because, in this orientation, the parts are built
FDM along the z-axis, which results in minimum strength. The MIP consists of honeycomb, triangular and rec-
TGA
tilinear patterns fabricated with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% infill density. The tensile specimen has been
Multi-infill pattern
Tensile test
designed as per the ASTM D638 standard. The result represents that the printing orientation has influ-
enced the tensile strength of MIP specimen. Higher tensile strength and tensile strength/mass ratio are
observed in the on-edge orientation of MIP specimen. The specimen in on-edge orientation with 100%
infill density has resulted in higher tensile strength of 30.91 MPa and tensile strength/mass ratio of
3.87 MPa/g. Based on the literature study, the tensile strength of rectilinear, honeycomb and triangular
infill pattern PLA specimen with 80% infill density was 10.48 MPa, 10.72 MPa and 20.39 MPa respectively.
Hence it can be concluded that the specimen with a MIP has more tensile strength compared to a single
infill pattern specimen. Also, trans-layer failure was observed in MIP specimens printed in both
orientations.
Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the 9th International Conference on Advancements and
Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials Engineering(AFTMME 2021).

1. Introduction
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is the most capable technology
for fabricating the complex geometry part. Constraints related to
specific traditional manufacturing methods are nearly eliminated
with 3D printers, allowing the elaboration of flexible designs. In
the early stages, 3D printers were used to manufacture hobby
products. Recently, 3D printers have been used in many industrial
applications such as prototype manufacturing, structural models in
architecture, specialised customer products and medical applica-
tions (i.e., dental implants, prosthesis). The type of material, man-
ufacturing tolerances and product application determine the type
of AM methods to be used. These methods are stereolithography,
inkjet printing, fused deposition modelling and laminated object
manufacturing [1]. The main disadvantage of these methods is a
longer production time compared to traditional manufacturing
⇑ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: mahesh.naik4144@gmail.com (M. Naik).
methods. This is the main reason why they have not been used
for mass production.
FDM technique has been considered as the economical and
green 3D printing process, which has various applications in indus-
tries such as aerospace, automotive and medical [2–4]. In this
method, a softened thermoplastic material is added layer-by-
layer on a build bed using extrusion for manufacturing a 3D part
[5,6]. In this process, a 3D model is designed as per the product
shape and size; then the model is saved in Stereolithography
(STL) file format. The file is uploaded to slicer program where the
slicer converts the cross-section of the model into layers of uni-
form and specified height. Then after converting to the desired
height and inputting other settings, the file is converted to G-
code. As per the G-code, the extrusion head moves along the x-y
axis, depositing the material in a semi-liquid form on the build
bed. After depositing an individual layer, the build bed moves
downward to a defined layer height along the z-axis. The same step
is repeated to 3D print the whole part. Fig. 1 represents the FDM
process.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.02.305
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the 9th International Conference on Advancements and Futuristic Trends in Mechanical and Materials
Engineering(AFTMME 2021).
M. Naik, D.G. Thakur and S. Chandel
Fig. 1. FDM Process.
Several researchers have evaluated the AM part strength, by
varying various printing parameters. Chacon et al. [7] examined
the influence of feed rate, build orientation and layer height on
the strength of PLA specimen fabricated with FDM based 3D printer.
They found that for the specimen with flat orientation, the tensile
strength varies significantly, while a high tensile strength resulted
due to small layer height. Es-Said et al. [8] investigated that after
depositing material, high porosity and weak bonding between lay-
ers is due to air gap, raster orientation and phase change of polymer
material. As the material is deposited on the build bed, the temper-
ature decreases from glass transition temperature to room temper-
ature, which results in residual stress due to non-uniform printing
speed, causing delamination, cracking and brittle fracture of the
specimen. Durgun and Ertan [9] stated that the surface roughness
and strength of ABS polymer are more affected by build orientation
than the raster orientation. Aloyaydi et al. [10] investigated the
effect of infill patterns on strength of FDM specimens by compres-
sion test and Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) test. They concluded that
the triangular pattern has higher impact energy; while the grid pat-
tern shows the highest compressive strength. Mishra and Mahapa-
tra [11] studied the effect of wall layers and other printing variables
on the tensile properties of FDM specimens. They concluded that as
the wall layer increases, the tensile strength of FDM parts enhances.
Ahn et al. [12] studied that the tensile strength of the FDM build
samples is influenced by printing variables. The results indicated
that the air gap and raster angle has a major effect on the tensile
strength. Wang et al. [13] explored the mechanical properties of
the 3D-printed samples of PLA material under various printing
Fig. 2. 2D geometry of tensile specimen (All dimensions are in mm).
Fig. 3. Cross-section of MIP tensile specimen representing infill density and infill pattern along the thickness direction.
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Materials Today: Proceedings 62 (2022) 7391–7395
parameters. They reported that the layer height influences the layer
bonding strength of 3D printed specimens.
Literature, as mentioned above, reveals that several authors
have attempted to investigate the influences of printing parame-
ters on FDM parts. The quality of FDM specimen mainly depends
on the proper selection of printing variables. Therefore, this
research focuses on the influence of printing variables i.e build ori-
entation and infill density on tensile strength of Multi Infill Pattern
(MIP) specimens using PLA filament. The MIP specimen has been
inspired by a cross-section of turtle shell and flat bone structures
[14,15]. The weight reduction of the part can be done by consider-
ing the bio-inspired structure. Light-weight parts with high tensile
strength are required in applications such as automotive, medical
and aerospace fields etc. As per the ASTM D638 standard, tensile
specimens are manufactured on FDM based 3D printer, and the
tensile test is done on a universal testing machine.
2. Experimental details
2.1. FDM based printer and material
An entry-level, Fab X 3D printer with the FDM technique is used
for the fabrication of specimens in this study. The 3D printer has a
print bed of 200  200  200 mm3. The 3D printer is capable of
using multiple thermoplastic polymers. Due to high strength and
modulus, PLA material is selected. Also, the mechanical properties
of petro-based commercial polymers are comparable with PLA
material. In FDM based 3D printers, mostly PLA polymer is used
and is typically available in filament form.
2.2. Thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) testing
The filament of PLA material is tested for TGA. To study the
thermal stability of PLA filament, TGA was done using a PerkinEl-
mer STA 6000. TGA involves heating the PLA sample at a constant
rate of 20 °C/min and at the same time measuring mass of the sam-
ple during the entire test.
2.3. Experimental design for fabrication of specimens
Printing orientation among other printing parameters is the sig-
nificant parameter affecting the quality of MIP specimens. The
design and fabrication of the MIP specimens are done based on
ASTM D638 standard [16]. As a representative, Fig. 2 shows the
M. Naik, D.G. Thakur and S. Chandel Materials Today: Proceedings 62 (2022) 7391–7395

geometry of tensile specimen. The orientation of specimen is

defined by placing the specimen model with respect to the x-
axis. Two printing orientations, i.e. flat and on-edge, were consid-
ered with 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% infill density. The up-right orien-
tation was not considered because, in this orientation, the parts are
built along the z-axis, which results in minimum strength. The MIP
model was created using the slicer software. It consists of three
sections, i.e. the top section, middle section and bottom section,
which involves triangular, honeycomb and rectilinear patterns
respectively as shown in Fig. 3. Representation of infill pattern
along the three section of MIP specimen with 50% infill density is
shown in Fig. 4.

2.4. Specimen fabrications

The tensile specimen 3D model was designed in Solidworks

based on ASTM D638 standard (ASTM 2010). The model is
exported in STL file format and transferred to the slicer program,
where it converts the whole cross-section of the 3D model to indi-
vidual layers of specific layer height with the adjustment of the
printing parameters. Then the file is exported in G-Code format
which is assigned to a 3D printer. Using PLA filament, the fabrica-
tion of specimens is done on a Fab X 3D printer. All specimens were
printed in centre of the print bed to reduce the error of location.
The shell feature is used for printing the boundary of the specimen
while for the inner section MIP is considered. Shell feature is used
for surface finish, while MIP is chosen for the inner section. The PLA
material is extruded from the nozzle at 200 °C at a constant rate of
45 mm/sec while the build bed is set at 60 °C. In order to evaluate
the repeatability of the test, three specimens were fabricated. Fig. 5
shows 3D printed specimens with two orientations.
2.5. Tensile test
As per ASTM D638 standard, testing of each MIP specimen is
done on a Universal Testing Machine (UTM) as represented in
Fig. 6. The UTM includes a load cell with the capability of measur-
ing 10 kN load. It also consists of built-in software which allows
controlling, monitoring and recording measured data. The tensile
Fig. 6. Tensile testing of MIP specimens.
specimen is gripped between the two jigs and tightened. During
the entire test, the crosshead speed is retained at 2 mm/min to
measure and record the deformation of the material. Till the frac-
ture of the specimen, the crosshead motion continues, and then
the test stops. Test data is collected from the software through
the data acquisition system.
3. Result and discussion
In the present research, using TGA, the thermal stability of PLA
material was examined. The effect of orientation and infill density
on tensile strength is examined. Table 1 represents the results of
tensile test.
3.1. TGA
Using TGA, the thermal stability of PLA material is examined.
The sample has a mass of 4 mg approximately and is tested in air-

Fig. 4. Representation of infill pattern along the three section of MIP specimen with 50% infill density.

Fig. 5. 3D printed tensile specimen with different orientations.

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M. Naik, D.G. Thakur and S. Chandel
Table 1
Summarised results of tensile testing.
Orientation Infill density (%)
Flat 25%
50%
75%
100%
On-edge 25%
50%
75%
100%
Fig. 7. TGA curve for PLA filament.
flow of 20 ml/min from 28 °C to 545 °C at a rate of 20 °C/min. Fig. 7
represents the curve recorded during the thermal decomposition of
PLA under a linear heating rate. The TGA curve of PLA material is
sigmoidal and represent a continuous decomposition profile. The
degradation of the material is observed in two stages. In the first
stage, from 28 °C to 292 °C material is highly stable, and negligible
weight loss was observed. In the second stage, rapid weight loss
was observed between 292 °C and 366 °C. Therefore, the thermal
decomposition of PLA material has a distinctive value of activation
energy during the conversion range.
3.2. Effect of printing orientation on mass
Fig. 8 illustrates evaluation of mass of MIP specimens printed
with different orientations with respect to 25%, 50%, 75% and
100% infill density. The mass of each of the specimens is measured
using a weighing scale which has a resolution of 0.1 mg. As infill
density increases, mass of specimen in both orientations increases.
Fig. 8. Comparison of the mass of tensile specimens.
Materials Today: Proceedings 62 (2022) 7391–7395
Mass (g) UTS (MPa) UTS/Mass Ratio
3.40 4.88 1.43
4.96 7.47 1.50
6.38 10.85 1.70
7.82 13 1.66
6.51 22.71 3.48
7.10 23.87 3.36
7.65 27.55 3.60
7.98 30.91 3.87
The MIP specimen printed in on-edge orientation resulted in more
mass than specimen printed in flat orientation. It is due to the
higher number of counters and lower volume of infill pattern in
on-edge orientation specimens. In the case of 100% infill density,
specimen in both orientations has nearby the same mass because
the porosity is almost negligible and an equal amount of material
is deposited due to the same dimensions in both the specimens.
3.3. Tensile test
3.3.1. Effect of printing orientation on UTS
Fig. 9 represents the UTS of the specimen at various printing
orientations. It is observed that the printing orientation of the
specimen has significantly affected the tensile strength. Experi-
mental results have shown that MIP specimens with on-edge ori-
entation resulted in higher UTS. The wall layers in the flat
orientation and on-edge orientation are aligned in the direction
parallel to the loading direction during the tensile test. In flat ori-
entation, the wall layers are present along thickness direction and
in on-edge orientation, the wall layers are present along width
direction which has resulted in more volume of wall layers in
on-edge orientation compared to flat orientation. This has resulted
in a higher tensile load absorbed by wall layers in on-edge orienta-
tion compared to flat orientation. Also, the area occupied by the
MIP in flat orientation is more which resulted in more stress-
concentration due to a change in pattern structure and raster angle
along the thickness direction which has ultimately reduced the
tensile strength of MIP specimen in a flat orientation. Also, the fail-
ure mode observed in both orientations was a trans-raster failure.
Based on the literature, the tensile strength of single-infill pattern
PLA specimen i.e rectilinear, honeycomb and triangular pattern
with 80% infill density was found to be 10.48 MPa, 10.72 MPa
and 20.39 MPa respectively [3] which is less as compared to MIP
specimen. Fig. 10 represents the stress-strain curve for 100% infill
density specimens for flat and on-edge orientation.
Fig. 9. Comparison of UTS of specimens.
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M. Naik, D.G. Thakur and S. Chandel
Fig. 10. Stress-strain curve for 100% infill density specimens.
Fig. 11. Comparison of UTS/mass ratio of specimens.
3.3.2. Effect of printing orientation on UTS/mass ratio
Fig. 11 shows the ultimate tensile strength/mass ratio of MIP
specimen with two orientations. It is observed that printing orien-
tation of the specimen has affected the tensile strength/mass ratio.
Experimental results have shown that MIP specimens with on-
edge orientation have a higher tensile strength/mass ratio. It has
resulted due to the high tensile strength in on-edge orientation.
4. Conclusion
In this research, the effect of printing orientation and infill den-
sity on tensile strength of MIP specimens has been investigated
experimentally. The MIP specimens were fabricated on FDM based
3D printer as per ASTM D638 standard. The result shows that ten-
sile strength of MIP specimen is greatly influenced by printing ori-
entation. The result shows that higher tensile strength was
obtained for MIP specimens build in on-edge orientation. It can
be concluded that MIP specimens build in on-edge orientation
have good UTS and UTS/mass ratios. Also, MIP specimen build in
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Materials Today: Proceedings 62 (2022) 7391–7395
both orientations has a trans-layer failure. This research can be
used for applications where UTS/mass ratio is important and can
be extended to the medical, aerospace and automobile sector,
where lightweight structures are required. Also, the tensile
strength of multi-infill pattern specimens is higher than single
infill pattern specimens.
CRediT authorship contribution statement
Mahesh Naik: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – orig-
inal draft, Visualization, Investigation, Formal analysis. D.G. Tha-
kur: Supervision, Writing – review & editing. Sunil Chandel:
Writing – review & editing.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing finan-
cial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared
to influence the work reported in this paper.
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