A Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Additive Manufacturing Processing Based on PET Fiber and PLA

Continuous fiber-reinforced manufacturing has many advantages, but the fabrication cost is high and its process is difficult to control. This paper presents a method for printing fiber-reinforced composite on the common fused filament fabrication (FFF) platform. Polylactic Acid (PLA) and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibers are used as printing materials. A spatial continuous toolpath planning strategy is employed to reduce the workload of post-processing without cutting the fiber. Experimental results show that this process not only enables the printing of models with complex geometric shapes but also supports material recycling and reuse. A material recovery rate of 100% for continuous PET fiber and 83% for PLA were achieved for a better environmental impact. Mechanical tests show that the maximum tensile strength of continuous PET fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (PFRTPCs) is increased by 117.8% when compared to polyamide-66 (PA66).

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Fused Filament Fabrication of Polymers and Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites: Advances in Structure Optimization and Health Monitoring

Polymers ◽

10.3390/polym13050789 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (5) ◽

pp. 789

Author(s):

Fatemeh Mashayekhi ◽

Julien Bardon ◽

Vincent Berthé ◽

Henri Perrin ◽

Stephan Westermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Monitoring ◽

Thermoplastic Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Continuous Fiber ◽

Fused Filament Fabrication ◽

Thermoplastic Matrix ◽

Fiber Reinforced Polymer Composites ◽

3D Printed ◽

Printed Materials ◽

Monitoring Technologies

3D printed neat thermoplastic polymers (TPs) and continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPCs) by fused filament fabrication (FFF) are becoming attractive materials for numerous applications. However, the structure of these materials exhibits interfaces at different scales, engendering non-optimal mechanical properties. The first part of the review presents a description of these interfaces and highlights the different strategies to improve interfacial bonding. The actual knowledge on the structural aspects of the thermoplastic matrix is also summarized in this contribution with a focus on crystallization and orientation. The research to be tackled to further improve the structural properties of the 3D printed materials is identified. The second part of the review provides an overview of structural health monitoring technologies relying on the use of fiber Bragg grating sensors, strain gauge sensors and self-sensing. After a brief discussion on these three technologies, the needed research to further stimulate the development of FFF is identified. Finally, in the third part of this contribution the technology landscape of FFF processes for CFRTPCs is provided, including the future trends.

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3D printing for continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites: mechanism and performance

Rapid Prototyping Journal ◽

10.1108/rpj-08-2015-0098 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 209-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 143

Author(s):

Chuncheng Yang ◽

Xiaoyong Tian ◽

Tengfei Liu ◽

Yi Cao ◽

Dichen Li

Keyword(s):

3D Printing ◽

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene ◽

Industrial Applications ◽

Mechanical Tests ◽

Thermoplastic Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Continuous Fiber ◽

Printing Process ◽

Content Type ◽

The One

Purpose Continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPCs) are becoming more significant in industrial applications but are limited by the high cost of molds, the manufacturing boundedness of complex constructions and the inability of special fiber alignment. The purpose of this paper is to put forward a novel three-dimensional (3D) printing process for CFRTPCs to realize the low-cost rapid fabrication of complicated composite components. Design/methodology/approach For this purpose, the mechanism of the proposed process, which consists of the thermoplastic polymer melting, the continuous fiber hot-dipping and the impregnated composites extruding, was investigated. A 3D printing equipment for CFRTPCs with a novel composite extrusion head was developed, and some composite samples have been fabricated for several mechanical tests. Moreover, the interface performance was clarified with scanning electron microscopy images. Findings The results showed that the flexural strength and the tensile strength of these 10 Wt.% continuous carbon fiber (CCF)/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) specimens were improved to 127 and 147 MPa, respectively, far greater than the one of ABS parts and close to the one of CCF/ABS (injection molding) with the same fiber content. Moreover, these test results also exposed the very low interlaminar shear strength (only 2.81 MPa) and the inferior interface performance. These results were explained by the weak meso/micro/nano scale interfaces in the 3D printed composite parts. Originality/value The 3D printing process for CFRTPCs with its controlled capabilities for the orientation and distribution of fiber has great potential for manufacturing of load-bearing composite parts in the industrial circle.

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Impacts of thermoplastics content on mechanical properties of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

Composites Part B Engineering ◽

10.1016/j.compositesb.2021.108859 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 216 ◽

pp. 108859

Author(s):

Dong-Jun Kwon ◽

Neul-Sae-Rom Kim ◽

Yeong-Jin Jang ◽

Hyun Ho Choi ◽

Kihyun Kim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Thermoplastic Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Continuous Fiber

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Potentiality of Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic Composites

Design and Manufacturing of Composites ◽

10.1201/9781003076131-74 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 408-412

Author(s):

Koji Kameo ◽

Georg Bechtold ◽

Hiroyuki Hamada ◽

Klaus Friedrich

Keyword(s):

Thermoplastic Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Continuous Fiber

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Stiffness prediction of 3D printed fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites

Rapid Prototyping Journal ◽

10.1108/rpj-11-2018-0283 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 549-555

Author(s):

Jin Young Choi ◽

Mark Timothy Kortschot

Keyword(s):

Mechanical Properties ◽

Extrusion Direction ◽

Analytical Models ◽

Thermoplastic Composites ◽

Fiber Reinforced ◽

Flat Plates ◽

Fused Filament Fabrication ◽

Element Analysis ◽

Content Type ◽

3D Printed

Purpose The purpose of this study is to confirm that the stiffness of fused filament fabrication (FFF) three-dimensionally (3D) printed fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (FRP) materials can be predicted using classical laminate theory (CLT), and to subsequently use the model to demonstrate its potential to improve the mechanical properties of FFF 3D printed parts intended for load-bearing applications. Design/methodology/approach The porosity and the fiber orientation in specimens printed with carbon fiber reinforced filament were calculated from micro-computed tomography (µCT) images. The infill portion of the sample was modeled using CLT, while the perimeter contour portion was modeled with a rule of mixtures (ROM) approach. Findings The µCT scan images showed that a low porosity of 0.7 ± 0.1% was achieved, and the fibers were highly oriented in the filament extrusion direction. CLT and ROM were effective analytical models to predict the elastic modulus and Poisson’s ratio of FFF 3D printed FRP laminates. Research limitations/implications In this study, the CLT model was only used to predict the properties of flat plates. Once the in-plane properties are known, however, they can be used in a finite element analysis to predict the behavior of plate and shell structures. Practical implications By controlling the raster orientation, the mechanical properties of a FFF part can be optimized for the intended application. Originality/value Before this study, CLT had not been validated for FFF 3D printed FRPs. CLT can be used to help designers tailor the raster pattern of each layer for specific stiffness requirements.

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