Compressive Strength Optimization of 3D-Printed Voronoi Trabecular Bone Using the Taguchi Method

Abstract

The surge in demand for patient-specific orthopedic implants necessitates the precise optimization of design and processing parameters for artificial trabecular bone. This research utilizes Voronoi-based porous structures to replicate the irregular geometry characteristic of natural trabecular bone. All specimens were fabricated through fused deposition modeling (FDM) with polylactic acid (PLA). The study systematically investigated the influence of four primary parameters, namely build orientation, extruder temperature, layer height, and pore count, on compressive strength. To ensure experimental efficiency, the research implemented a Taguchi L20 orthogonal array. Subsequent signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio analysis identified the optimal parameter set as a y-90 degrees build orientation, an extruder temperature of 200 degrees C, a layer height of 0.2 mm, and a count of 150 pores. These findings underscore the necessity of integrated geometric and process parameter optimization to advance additive manufacturing for orthopedic applications.