Optimization of 3D printed parameters for socket prosthetic manufacturing using the taguchi method and response surface methodology

The most prevalent 3D printing technology on the market currently is Fused deposition modeling (FDM). The main objective of this study is to analyze the effect of the FDM process parameters on the printing time and socket weight of the printed socket prosthetic process as a component of the transtibial prosthesis. Optimization and modeling of the 3D printing prosthetic socket process were carried out using the Taguchi and RSM methods. The Taguchi method was used to evaluate the influence of various factors (socket thickness, layer height, infill density, print speed, and nozzle temperature) on the amount of printing time and socket weight. Furthermore, the factors that have a significant effect are selected and modeled using the RSM method to obtain the highest percentage of printing time and socket weight. The applied material is polylactic acid (PLA) filament. Five printing process parameters were socket thickness (3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm), layer height (0.1 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.3 mm), infill density (80 %, 90 %, 100 %), print speed (70 mm/s, 80 mm/s, 90 mm/s) and nozzle temperature (190 degree celsius, 200 degree celsius, 210 degree celsius). The proposed quadratic models for reducing both printing time and socket weight were in good accordance with the actual experimental data. The coefficients of determination (R2) for test data were 0.9743 and 0.9993 for printing time and socket weight, respectively.