Empirical Evaluation of Additive Manufacturing Technologies for Producing Mechatronic System Components Under Nigerian Industrial Conditions

Additive manufacturing technologies including fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering, and stereolithography offer transformative potential for rapid prototyping and low-volume production of mechatronic system components in Nigerian engineering industries, yet rigorous empirical evaluation of these technologies under Nigerian operating and environmental conditions is absent from the literature. This study conducts an empirical evaluation of three additive manufacturing technologies for producing representative mechatronic component geometries, encompassing motor brackets, sensor housings, and gripper finger structures, with specific attention to dimensional accuracy, mechanical strength, surface finish, and performance under the high ambient temperature and humidity conditions characteristic of the Nigerian environment. Components are fabricated at three AM service bureaus operating in Lagos State and tested according to standardized mechanical testing protocols including tensile testing, hardness measurement, and dimensional metrology. Thermal stability of FDM-printed PLA and PETG parts is assessed through elevated temperature exposure testing at 45 and 60 degrees Celsius representing Nigerian ambient and enclosed machinery temperature conditions. FDM-PETG demonstrates the best overall suitability for functional mechatronic components under Nigerian conditions, with tensile strength retention of 94 percent after heat exposure and dimensional accuracy within 0.4 millimetres of nominal. SLS-nylon components exhibit superior mechanical isotropy and complex geometry fidelity but at 6.8 times the per-part cost of FDM. The study provides a technology selection matrix to guide Nigerian mechatronics engineers in matching AM technology to component requirements and production context. Keywords: additive manufacturing, 3D printing, mechatronic components, FDM, Nigerian industrial