The Suitability of Using 3D PLA Printed Wedges for Ultrasonic Wave Propagation

This work studies the suitability of using 3D printed PLA wedges made through additive manufacturing to propagate Lamb waves in plate structures instead of using rather more expensive commercial wedges. Ultrasonic waves were propagated in test samples printed at different densities to determine the optimal printing features of ultrasonic wedges based on signal attenuation. Results show barely any difference in Lamb wave filtered effect between 3D printed PLA and commercial wedges, which supports its usage as a suitable and cheaper option for Lamb wave propagation.