STRENGTH RESEARCH OF AGRICULTURAL MACHINE PARTS MANUFACTURED BY FDM TECHNOLOGY METHOD

The article presents the results of experimental studies of the strength characteristics of samples manufactured using fused deposition modeling (FDM). The aim of the study was to determine the influence of the printing method and infill density on the mechanical properties of polymer parts intended for use in agricultural machinery. Polylactide (PLA) filament with a diameter of 1.75 mm was used as the printing material. Printing was performed on a da Vinci Pro 3x1 3D printer with standard settings: nozzle temperature of 210°C, bed temperature of 60°C, and layer height of 0.2 mm. Tensile tests were conducted on samples with different infill types: rectilinear, honeycomb, concentric, and gyroid, at varying internal structure densities. The density percentage was varied for each infill type (20%, 35%, and 50%). Concentric infill density at 50% infill density demonstrated the best results in terms of elastic modulus. A laboratory prototype of the seeder's seeding unit was designed, manufactured using FDM technology, and tested. Laboratory testing of the seeding unit prototype assessed the metering performance of small-seeded crops (fiber flax, rapeseed, and clover). The recommended operating speed range (40–50 rpm) ensuring satisfactory metering performance for small-seeded crops (seed unevenness coefficient ≤12%, seed damage