Comparative Analysis of Surface Roughness and Geometric Tolerances in Material Extrusion: CPE versus TPU.
Saved in:
| Title: | Comparative Analysis of Surface Roughness and Geometric Tolerances in Material Extrusion: CPE versus TPU. |
|---|---|
| Authors: | Crupano, Walter1 (AUTHOR), Velázquez‐Corral, Eric1 (AUTHOR), Cisa, Isaac1 (AUTHOR), Adrover‐Monserrat, Bàrbara1 (AUTHOR), Llumà, Jordi1 (AUTHOR), Travieso‐Rodriguez, J. Antonio1 (AUTHOR) antonio.travieso@upc.edu |
| Source: | Macromolecular Materials & Engineering. May2026, Vol. 311 Issue 5, p1-24. 24p. |
| Subjects: | Material extrusion, Surface roughness, Experimental design, Thermoplastic elastomers, Polyesters |
| Abstract: | Dimensional variability and inadequate surface quality of parts manufactured via Material Extrusion (MEX) remain the primary obstacles to their full integration into high‐value industrial production lines. Despite the industrial relevance of elastomers and co‐polyesters in functional applications, a critical gap exists in scientific literature regarding systematic comparisons between Co‐polyester (CPE) and Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) under controlled manufacturing conditions. This work presents the first systematic comparison of surface roughness and dimensional tolerances between CPE and TPU fabricated by MEX using a shared response surface Design of Experiments (DOE) framework. The results reveal a robust linear correlation between layer height and Ra roughness for both materials, with Ra values ranging from 2.5 to 14.8 µm. Increasing the number of perimeter walls was found to improve circularity and concentricity tolerances by up to 15%–20%, depending on material stiffness. Notably, TPU exhibited a significantly higher sensitivity to infill percentage variations compared to CPE, attributed to its greater elastic deformation during the measurement process. These findings provide crucial industrial guidelines for material selection and parameter optimization in components where geometric precision and surface finish are determining factors for technical functionality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Macromolecular Materials & Engineering is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
|
Full text is not displayed to guests.
Login for full access.
|
|
Be the first to leave a comment!
