Evaluating Energy Consumption and Mechanical Properties of 3D Printing-Produced Parts with ABS, PLA, and PETG Plastic Materials

Pages 307-318

10.61552/JME.2026.03.002

Julie Zhang , Srikant Revuru

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Abstract: Unbalanced manufacturing activities lead to problems such as environmental deterioration, climate change, and natural resource depletion. To address the need for balancing energy consumption and mechanical performance, this study compares the total energy consumption, Young’s modulus, and tensile strength of biodegradable plastic material PLA with those of petroleum-based thermoplastic materials ABS and PETG, at infill densities of 50%, 75%, and 100%. Statistical analyses indicate that the total energy consumption of PLA, including material production, 3D printing, and recycling stages, falls between that of PETG and ABS across all infill densities, while PLA exhibited the lowest energy consumption in the 3D printing process.
The findings also revealed that Young’s modulus increased with increasing infill density for PLA, PETG, and ABS materials. The data showed differing tensile strength trends among the materials. While PETG and ABS exhibited increased tensile strength with increasing infill density, PLA’s highest tensile strength is at 75% infill density, with only a slight increase observed at 100% infill density. This suggests that, for some PLA applications, a 75% infill density may provide adequate mechanical performance while reducing material and energy consumption, although additional experimental studies are needed to validate this finding.

Keywords: Manufacturing sustainability, Energy consumption, 3D printing, Mechanical properties, Infill density

Recieved: 22.05.2026, Revised: 22.06.2026, Accepted: 3.07.2026