Non-local and local criteria based on the extended finite element method (XFEM) for fracture simulation of anisotropic 3D-printed polymeric components

The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient numerical procedure for simulating the effect of printing orientation, as one of the primary sources of anisotropy in 3D-printed components, on their fracture properties.

The extended finite element method and the cohesive zone model (XFEM-CZM) are used to develop subroutines for fracture simulation. The ability of two prevalent models, i.e. the continuous-varying fracture properties (CVF) model and the weak plane model (WPM), and a combination of both models (WPM-CVF) are evaluated to capture fracture behavior of the additively manufactured samples. These models are based on the non-local and local forms of the anisotropic maximum tangential stress criterion. The numerical models are assessed by comparing their results with experimental outcomes of 16 different configurations of polycarbonate samples printed using the material extrusion technique.

The results demonstrate that the CVF exaggerates the level of anisotropy, and the WPM cannot detect the mild anisotropy of 3D-printed parts, while the WPM-CVF produces the best results. Additionally, the non-local scheme outperforms the local approach in terms of finite element analysis performance, such as mesh dependency, robustness, etc.

This paper provides a method for modeling anisotropic fracture in 3D-printed objects. A new damage model based on a combination of two prevalent models is offered. Moreover, the developed subroutines for implementing the non-local anisotropic fracture criterion enable a reliable crack propagation simulation in media with varying degrees of complication, such as anisotropy.