Compressive properties of FDM rapid prototypes treated with a low cost chemical finishing

In literature several studies have been performed to analyze the surface finish of rapid prototyped parts. These researches have been mainly aimed to the optimal build direction of prototypes to obtain the best possible surface finish on specific surfaces. Very diffuse technologies that suffers considerably of low surface quality are Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and extrusion based Rapid Prototyping machines in general. Hand finishing for even the most basic levels of part quality are often required by the customers, forcing the geometrical features of the prototypes to be controlled by the skill level of the operator. This study completes past researches performed by the authors on tensile and flexural properties of chemical dipped specimens after immersion in a dimethyl ketone-water solution. The authors aim to gain a more in-depth knowledge of this process, by analyzing and comparing the compressive properties of finished and non-finished FDM parts through the use of an experimental approach, totalizing about 100 tests.