The aim of this work is to create a water-soluble substrate with low surface roughness.
The 2.5×2.5 cm substrates were made from polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) by fused deposition
modelling (FDM). Within the scope of this study, the effects of the technology parameters
of fused deposition modeling - such as raster width, layer thickness, Z offset, extrusion
temperature, bed temperature, flow rate, and material of the base plate - on the resulting
surface roughness of the 3D-printed PVA substrates were investigated. Surface profilometry
results were then used to optimize the process and fabricate a water-soluble substrate
with minimal surface roughness. Our results indicate that the hidrophilic chemical
nature of the base plate is a principal parameter in reducing the surface roughness
of the resulting PVA substrate. With optimization the Ra was reduced to around 0.1μ
m on some areas of the printed substrates.
