An exploratory study of topographical signatures within 3D fused deposition modelling using Polylactic Acid (PLA) filament.

This preliminary limited study considers the possibility of the same source identification of consecutively 3D printed components using polymer filament by the examination of deposition artifacts as distinctive macroscopic and microscopic surface characteristics upon the surface of 3D printed objects. Hot-end printer nozzle deposition using polymer filaments can create distinctive surface characteristics upon 3D FDM-printed manufactured objects that can be identified, examined, and compared. Such artifacts can occur as repeatable patterns known as 'deposition striae', 'detachment points', and 'start points' upon the surfaces of an object and on consecutively manufactured components that have used the same 3D Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) printer hardware.