Numerical and Experimental Fracture Analysis of 3D‐Printed ABS Components: Effects of Infill Pattern, Raster, and Printing Orientation

ABSTRACT Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF), has emerged as a transformative approach for polymer‐based component fabrication, offering advantages such as design flexibility, customization, and reduced material waste. Despite growing adoption, understanding the fracture behavior of FFF‐printed components remains a challenge due to the complex microstructural heterogeneities introduced by varying printing parameters. This study investigates the effect of infill pattern, raster angle, and build orientation on mode I fracture behavior in ABS specimens produced via FFF. Three‐point bending tests were conducted to characterize fracture response, and the results were used to calibrate numerical models employing the Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) combined with Cohesive Zone Models (CZM) in Abaqus software. XFEM's capability to model crack propagation without mesh redefinition and independently of element boundaries makes it a powerful tool for simulating damage in additively manufactured materials. The study demonstrates that XFEM accurately captures crack growth behavior in FFF‐printed ABS and highlights the significant impact of process parameters on fracture performance.