Comparative Simulation and Performance Analysis of 3D-Printed DC Motors Fabricated from PLA, ABS, and Nylon: Mechanical, Thermal, and Electromagnetic Evaluation

Additive manufacturing has enabled the fast prototyping and low-cost fabrication of electromechanical systems such as small direct current (DC) motors. The effect of widely-used 3D-printing polymers on motor performance, thermal stability and durability, however, is not sufficiently explored. The present work compares the performance of three different brushed DC motors created by simulation with materials polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and Nylon (PA-12). The thermomechanical behavior, dimensional stability and wear characteristics were evaluated using finite element analysis in ANSYS Mechanical 2024 R1, while the lumped-parameter model was used to predict the motor speed, torque and efficiency for different operating conditions. 3D printing was used to prepare specimens for experimental evaluation of dimensional accuracy and a multi-criteria decision analysis method based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process, was used to rank material performance. The results demonstrated that the highest no-load speed (2445 rpm at 6 V), the highest mechanical efficiency was 54.3%, the most stable performance (safe operating temperature of 95°C), and the lowest value of wear (0.442 mm after 10,000 cycles) was obtained for Nylon. PLA presented very good dimensional accuracy (MAD = 0.090 mm), low fabrication costs, and low mechanical wear, but high deformation at temperature above 60°C. ABS exhibited intermediate performance, but did not outperform PLA or Nylon in any category. The result of MCDA was 80.3, 77.8 and 66.9 for Nylon, PLA and ABS, respectively. The results indicate that Nylon is suitable for use in high-performance or long-life applications, and PLA is suitable for use in low-duty-cycle or low-temperature motor designs in an economical manner.