Modifying Infill Settings to Optimize the Conductivity and Tensile Strength of 3D Printed Parts After Copper Electroplating

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3D printing is widely used within both hobbyist and industrial applications for its superior printing speed and cost-effectiveness in comparison to other conventional technologies, such as fused deposition modeling. Some of the drawbacks of FFF technology, however, include the limited electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of its parts. The purpose of this research, therefore, is to improve the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength of FFF parts by optimizing the infill parameters used in the printing process in conjunction with performing a copper electroplating of the parts. This was done by fabricating 3D prints at varying infill densities, which were then coated with a conductive paint and electroplated with copper. It was found that the electroplated parts had higher UTS values (p < 0.01) and lower resistances (p < 0.01), and that the magnitude of change in resistance and UTS values also increased across infill densities following electrolysis (p < 0.05). These results reflect the viability of accessible materials in optimizing the conductivity and mechanical strength of 3D prints, thus expanding industrial applicability of additive manufacturing in areas including rapid-prototyping.