Examination of the influence of printing parameters for the continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastics based on fused deposition modeling

Uşun A., Gümrük R., Yıldız N., Vatandaş B. B.

The International Journal of Materials and Engineering Technology, cilt.5, sa.2, ss.65-70, 2022 (Hakemli Dergi)

Özet

The continuous carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) printing process has been used more widely in recent years and is an alternative production method, especially in sectors such as aviation, automotive, prototyping, medical applications, and aerospace. Although additive manufacturing reduces the design limitations and makes it easier to manufacture, it is one of the disadvantages of this method: it has relatively low thermal and mechanical properties compared to standard production techniques. Therefore, in this study, printing parameters such as nozzle temperature, printing speed, layer thickness, and heated bed temperatures were investigated for fused deposition modeling. In this regard, a polymer impregnation line based on the melt impregnation technique was utilized to obtain CFRTP filaments using polylactic acid (PLA) and 3K carbon fiber. Obtained filaments were then used to print three-point bending test samples in order to investigate mechanical performance. The test result showed flexural strength between 108 and 224 MPa and flexural modulus between 9.67 and 17.69 GPa with a 23% fiber ratio. Results from this study proclaim that CFRTPs manufactured with this method and optimized printing parameters have great potential for implementing future production methods.