An Overview on the 3D Printing of Elastomers and the Influence of Printing Parameters on Their Mechanical Properties

Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies show a great potential to revolutionize the fabrication and logistics of components. However, the field of elastomers is a rather unexplored topic regarding 3D printing compared to other types of materials. To enlarge the scientific knowledge of 3D printing of elastomeric parts, this work starts with a literature overview and a discussion of AM in general. Subsequently, AM of elastomers is presented with the focus on fused filament fabrication (FFF) particularities. Characteristics and limitations as well as relevant aspects to be considered when dealing with thermoplastic elastomers in FFF printers are addressed. A quantitative analysis follows, investigating the primary effect of the infill raster orientation on the tensile behavior of samples printed in a FFF printer using thermoplastic polyurethane. A minor influence of unidirectional (0°, 45°, 90°) and alternating (45°–135°) orientations was verified for strains below 400%, which becomes more significant for the higher strain range and the resulting ultimate tensile stress.