RT Journal Article
T1 Machinability and geometric evaluation of FFF-printed PLA-carbon fiber composites in CNC turning operations.
A1 Martín-Béjar, Sergio
A1 Bañón-García, Fermín
A1 Bermudo-Gamboa, Carolina
A1 Sevilla-Hurtado, Lorenzo
K1 Impresión 3D
K1 Procesos de fabricación
K1 Polímeros
K1 Fibras de carbono
AB Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) enables the manufacturing of complex polymer components. However, surface finish and dimensional accuracy remain key limitations for their integration into functional assemblies. This study explores the potential of conventional turning as a post-processing strategy to improve the geometric and surface quality of PLA reinforced with carbon fiber (CF) parts produced by FFF. Machinability was evaluated through the analysis of cutting forces, thermal behavior, energy consumption, and surface integrity under varying cutting speeds, feed rates, and specimen slenderness. The results indicate that feed is the most influential parameter across all performance metrics, with lower values leading to improved dimensional accuracy and surface finish, achieving the most significant reductions of 63% in surface roughness (Sa) and 62% in cylindricity deviation. Nevertheless, the surface roughness is higher than that of metals, and deviations in geometry along the length of the specimen have been observed. A critical shear stress of 0.237 MPa has been identified as the limit for interlayer failure, defining the boundary conditions for viable cutting operation. The incorporation of CNC turning as a post-processing step reduced the total fabrication time by approximately 83% compared with high-resolution FFF, while maintaining dimensional accuracy and enhancing surface quality. These findings support the use of machining operations as a viable and efficient post-processing method for improving the functionality of polymer-based components produced by additive manufacturing.
PB MDPI
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/10630/40147
UL https://hdl.handle.net/10630/40147
LA eng
NO Martín-Béjar, S.; Bañón-García, F.; Bermudo Gamboa, C.; Sevilla Hurtado, L. Machinability and Geometric Evaluation of FFF-Printed PLA-Carbon Fiber Composites in CNC Turning Operations. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 8141. https://doi.org/10.3390/app15158141
DS RIUMA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Málaga
RD 23 ene 2026