Processing Induced Waste Management: Recyclable Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Reduction by Using FDM Process Parameter Tuning

The widespread adoption of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) has emerged as a promising technique for producing complex polymer components. However, the extensive use of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) filament in manufacturing contributes to material waste, environmental burden, and increased production costs. Material waste typically results from failed prints and support structures made of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS). This study investigates the reduction and recyclability potential of ABS waste through systematic tuning of FDM process parameters. There are key printing parameters, including nozzle temperature, print speed, layer height, infill density, raster angle, and cooling conditions, in the FDM technique. We used nozzle temperature, print speed, and layer height to reduce support structures. We prepared three structural designs with varied complexity and with minimal use of support for their printing in the FDM method. The support structures produced during the fabrication process were assessed in the post-processing stage of the sample by measuring weight and surface quality. The results demonstrated that the process parameter-induced technique significantly reduced support material weight, failed prints, and excess extrusion. Thereby, it is improving material efficiency and enabling less recyclable ABS waste. This research highlights FDM parameter optimization as an immediate, cost-effective, and sustainable alternative to downstream recycling processes, contributing to closed-loop material management in additive manufacturing.