Static tensile and cyclic tension-tension fatigue testing investigation of 3D printed ABS materials: a comparative study of different infill orientation and infill density with statistical analysis

Abstract The effects of 3D printing process parameters on the mechanical behavior of ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) materials, specifically focusing on static tensile and cyclic tension-tension fatigue testing, are analyzed in this investigation. The study examines how infill orientation (raster angle) and infill density influence the mechanical behavior of 3D printed ABS specimens. The study investigates the influence of different raster angles (0°/90°, 30°/ − 60°, + 45°/ − 45°, and 75°/ − 15°) and infill densities (20%, 50%, 80%, and 100%) on the overall tensile behavior of FDM-printed ABS specimens. In addition to the raster angles and infill densities, several maximum stress levels (90%, 70%, 60%, and 50% of UTS) are also incorporated in fatigue testing. The effect of frequency ranging from 0.25 to 20 Hz was also analyzed for 100% infill density with 50% stress level for various raster angles. The research employs statistical analysis methods, including ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey’s HSD tests, to analyze the effect of infill orientation, infill density, and their interactions on the mechanical behavior ( p < 0.001; R 2 > 0.95) and fatigue life ( p < 0.001; R 2 = 0.967) of 3D printed ABS materials. Statistical analyses revealed significant influences of infill orientation and infill density, with the 30°/− 60° orientation showing superior tensile performance across all infill densities, while + 45°/− 45°orientation provided superior fatigue performance across all stress levels and frequencies. Fatigue life improved significantly at higher cyclic frequencies, particularly between 0.25 to 5 Hz, with marginal gains above 5 Hz. Fatigue data closely followed a power-law ( $$N= a{S}^{m}.$$ ) relationship, where S–N (Fatigue Stress-Fatigue Cycle) and inverse Log–Log S–N graph with negative m value validate the strong fatigue stress-fatigue life correlations ( R 2 > 0.94). These findings provide statistically supported insights for optimizing FDM process parameters for ABS components with grid infill patterns and dogbone geometries, serving as a reference framework for similar materials and conditions rather than universal guidelines.