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Peer-reviewedCC BYPolymers

Effect of Printing Angle on Mechanical Properties of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)-Printed Polymers for Below-Knee Prosthetic Sockets: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis Study

  • Ismail Boudjemaa1
  • Omar Khatir2
  • Abdelkader Benkhettou2
  • Bel Abbes Bachir Bouiadjra2
  • Abdrahmene Sahli2
  • Murat Yaylacı3,4,5
  • Dursun Murat Sekban6,7
  • Yılmaz Güvercin8
  • Ecren Uzun Yaylacı9
  • Muhammet Kalkışım10
10 affiliations
  1. 1Gaseous Fuels and Environment Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sciences and Technology of Oran Mohamed Boudiaf (USTO-MB), Oran 31000, Algeria
  2. 2Laboratory Mechanics Physics of Materials (LMPM), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Sidi Bel Abbes, Sidi Bel Abbes 22000, Algeria
  3. 3Department of Civil Engineering, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, Türkiye
  4. 4Biomedical Engineering MSc Program, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, Türkiye
  5. 5Dijitalpark Teknokent, Murat Yaylacı-Luzeri R&D Engineering Company, Rize 53100, Türkiye
  6. 6Department of Marine Engineering Operations, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Türkiye
  7. 7Trabzon Teknokent, WMS Engineering Services Industry Trade Limited Company, Trabzon 61080, Türkiye
  8. 8Department of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, Trabzon University, Trabzon 61030, Türkiye
  9. 9Faculty of Fisheries, Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize 53100, Türkiye
  10. 10Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon 61080, Türkiye
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Abstract

This study investigates the influence of printing angle on the mechanical performance of 3D-printed prosthetic sockets through an integrated experimental and computational approach. Tensile tests were conducted on Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polylactic Acid (PLA), and enhanced PLA (PLA+) specimens fabricated at four orientations (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°). The results confirmed clear printing orientation dependence, with Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength varying across printing angles in a material-specific manner. The experimentally determined Young’s modulus for each material–orientation combination was implemented as an equivalent isotropic elastic input in a separate finite element simulation of a patient-specific transtibial socket under simplified quasi-static stance loading. The FE simulations revealed that PLA+ printed at 0° provided a balanced structural response: it maintained von Mises stress within the socket at 1.98 MPa, limited displacement to 0.29 mm, and kept interface contact pressure at 0.089 MPa. In contrast, the more compliant ABS, particularly at a 90° orientation, exhibited a higher displacement of approximately 0.37 mm, which may influence socket compliance. This research provides quantitative, data-driven guidelines for the additive manufacturing of load-bearing medical devices, demonstrating that precise control of print orientation and material selection is essential for engineering prosthetic sockets that balance structural support with patient-specific interface requirements.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{boudjemaa2026effect,
  title = {{Effect of Printing Angle on Mechanical Properties of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)-Printed Polymers for Below-Knee Prosthetic Sockets: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis Study}},
  author = {Ismail Boudjemaa and Omar Khatir and Abdelkader Benkhettou and Bel Abbes Bachir Bouiadjra and Abdrahmene Sahli and Murat Yaylacı and Dursun Murat Sekban and Yılmaz Güvercin and Ecren Uzun Yaylacı and Muhammet Kalkışım},
  journal = {Polymers},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/polym18192431},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666868},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Effect of Printing Angle on Mechanical Properties of Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF)-Printed Polymers for Below-Knee Prosthetic Sockets: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis Study
AU  - Ismail Boudjemaa
AU  - Omar Khatir
AU  - Abdelkader Benkhettou
AU  - Bel Abbes Bachir Bouiadjra
AU  - Abdrahmene Sahli
AU  - Murat Yaylacı
AU  - Dursun Murat Sekban
AU  - Yılmaz Güvercin
AU  - Ecren Uzun Yaylacı
AU  - Muhammet Kalkışım
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - Polymers
DO  - 10.3390/polym18192431
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13666868
AB  - This study investigates the influence of printing angle on the mechanical performance of 3D-printed prosthetic sockets through an integrated experimental and computational approach. Tensile tests were conducted on Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polylactic Acid (PLA), and enhanced PLA (PLA+) specimens fabricated at four orientations (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°). The results confirmed clear printing orientation dependence, with Young’s modulus and ultimate tensile strength varying across printing angles in a material-specific manner. The experimentally determined Young’s modulus for each material–orientation combination was implemented as an equivalent isotropic elastic input in a separate finite element simulation of a patient-specific transtibial socket under simplified quasi-static stance loading. The FE simulations revealed that PLA+ printed at 0° provided a balanced structural response: it maintained von Mises stress within the socket at 1.98 MPa, limited displacement to 0.29 mm, and kept interface contact pressure at 0.089 MPa. In contrast, the more compliant ABS, particularly at a 90° orientation, exhibited a higher displacement of approximately 0.37 mm, which may influence socket compliance. This research provides quantitative, data-driven guidelines for the additive manufacturing of load-bearing medical devices, demonstrating that precise control of print orientation and material selection is essential for engineering prosthetic sockets that balance structural support with patient-specific interface requirements.
SN  - 2073-4360
ER  -