Comparative Analysis of Tensile Strength in Titanium-PLA Composites and Pure PLA Fabricated via Fused Deposition Modeling

This study investigates the tensile strength performance of titanium-polylactic acid (PLA) composites fabricated via fused deposition modeling (FDM) compared to pure PLA under identical manufacturing conditions. The aim is to identify whether surface integration and material combination strategies enhance the load-bearing capacity of polymer components. PLA filaments of 1.75mm diameter were used, and the Taguchi Design of Experiments (DOE) with an orthogonal L9 array was employed to assess the impact of process parameters such as printing temperature, bed temperature, and layer height on the Ultimate Tensile Strength (UTS). Surface treatments, including laser structuring and sandblasting, were applied to selected titanium surfaces to study their effect on interfacial adhesion. Tensile tests were performed using a Universal Testing Machine, and statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software. The results revealed a statistically significant difference in strength between the two materials, with titanium-PLA composites exhibiting significantly higher strength than pure PLA. The material type significantly influenced strength, with 98.2% of the variance in strength attributable to the material type. However, the material type did not significantly affect strength across the parameters of printing temperature, bed temperature, and layer height. The findings support the development of stronger and more reliable hybrid structures for structural and lightweight applications.