Hierarchical homogenization and experimental evaluation of functionally graded materials manufactured by the fused filament fabrication process

Abstract

This study investigates the numerical and experimental characterization of functionally graded materials (FGMs) fabricated by the fused filament fabrication (FFF) process. FGMs were designed using the voxelization method and manufactured with multiple gradient patterns. Tensile testing and microstructural analysis were used to evaluate the interface strength, while a three-scale hierarchical homogenization approach was developed to predict effective mechanical properties. Experimental results showed good agreement with finite element predictions, confirming the validity of the computational modeling framework for functionally graded composite parts.