Reduction of Process Induced Porosity for Ultrafuse 316L through Parameter Optimization of Creality Ender 3 V2 and Makerbot Method X

Metal-based additive manufacturing (MBAM) has enabled rapid prototyping and one-off production, but the cost of equipment has limited widespread adoption. Recent developments in hybrid filaments and processes have created more accessible methods for MBAM, leveraging common fused filament fabrication (FFF) printers and Ultrafuse 316L metal filament. This technique has shown promise but suffered from large pore formations along parallel print paths. To reduce the formation of process-dependent pores, a design of experiments (DOE) was conducted to investigate the effects of varying extrusion parameters such as layer height, line width, and extrusion multiplier for tensile samples produced on a Creality Ender 3 V2 and MakerBot Method X. Characterization techniques included tensile testing, microhardness, density measurements, and optical microscopy; findings were compared to samples produced via laser-powder bed fusion (L-PBF) and from 316L plate. The Method X produced components with approximately 1% porosity and the Ender 4% porosity. Mechanical properties for both FFF printers were comparable to previous research, with an increase in tensile strength for the Method X. Despite the increased porosity in the Ender samples, only a 7% reduction in strength from the average yield in Method X samples (153.6 MPa) was observed. It was found that a combination of increased layer height and extrusion rate led to improved mechanical properties in parts printed on the Ender, while the default Makerbot settings resulted in the best overall performance for Ultrafuse 316L samples.