Orientation Optimization of Material Extrusion Process Using Minitab Software

Abstract-Optimizing the orientation of a part in the Material Extrusion (MEX) process is crucial for reducing print time, energy consumption, and material waste while maintaining part quality. This study focuses on optimizing the printing orientation and layer height using the Taguchi method in Minitab to achieve an efficient and sustainable additive manufacturing process. The research employs the Taguchi Design of Experiments (DOE) approach to systematically evaluate the effects of different orientation angles and layer heights on print time and energy consumption. Experiments were conducted by printing samples at various orientations and layer thicknesses, and the response variables—total printing time and energy usage—were recorded. Signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios were analyzed in Minitab to determine the optimal parameter settings that minimize both print time and energy usage. The results indicate that the print orientation significantly affects deposition path efficiency, while layer height plays a key role in determining the number of layers and total energy required. The optimized orientation and layer height configuration led to a substantial reduction in energy consumption without compromising part accuracy and mechanical integrity. This study demonstrates that using the Taguchi method in Minitab for orientation optimization provides a structured and statistical approach to improving additive manufacturing efficiency. The findings can be applied to enhance the sustainability of FDM-based 3D printing, reducing material wastage and operational costs while improving process efficiency.