A Study on the Influence of Thermoplastic Extrusion Parameters and Annealing Post-Processing on the Technical Tensile Properties and Productivity of the Additive Manufacturing Process

Dragos Valentin Iacob; Dragos Gabriel Zisopol; Mihail Minescu

doi:10.48084/etasr.19367

Authors

Dragos Valentin Iacob Department of Mechanical Engineering, Doctoral School, Petroleum-Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania
Dragos Gabriel Zisopol Mechanical Engineering Department, Petroleum-Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania
Mihail Minescu Mechanical Engineering Department, Petroleum-Gas University, Ploiesti, Romania

Volume: 16 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 37928-37934 | August 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.19367

Received: 16 April 2026 | Revised: 31 May 2026 | Accepted: 8 June 2026 | Online: 22 June 2026

Corresponding author: Dragos Gabriel Zisopol

Abstract

This study examines the influence of thermoplastic extrusion parameters and post-processing via annealing on the tensile mechanical properties and productivity of the additive manufacturing process. The 27 tensile test specimens were additively manufactured from recycled PETG filament (rPETG) on a QIDI Q1 Pro 3D printer using a layer height of 0.10 to 0.20 mm and an infill density of of 50 to 100%. The tensile specimens were heat-treated at a temperature of 75 °C for 180 min, with slow cooling. A total of 27 specimens were prepared using thermoplastic extrusion and heat-treatment, followed by testing on the Barrus White 20 kN machine to determine their tensile properties, including tensile strength, percentage elongation at break, and modulus of elasticity. The results indicate that pre-processing significantly influences the tensile properties of the specimens, with having the dominant influence. The fundamental principle of value analysis was applied to study the cost-effectiveness and the impact of heat treatment on productivity. The findings suggest that annealing heat treatment negatively affects productivity.

Keywords:

3D printing, thermoplastic extrusion, printing parameters, tensile, value analysis, annealing

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