Analysis of DefeXtiles: a 3D printed textile towards garments and accessories

Abstract

This work investigates the structure and mechanical properties of a textile-like material fabricated from polylactic acid (PLA) filament in a fused deposition modeling (FDM) 3D printing process. FDM has expanded access to 3D printing, but the resultant parts are largely limited to rigid forms. The process characterized in this work may expand access to flexible, textile-like 3D-printed materials without requiring elastic filaments that are challenging to print. We investigate the mechanical properties of a previously demonstrated 3D printed textile (defeXtiles) that is fabricated by under-extruding a PLA filament during printing. We characterize the impact of selected print parameters on material structure and mechanical properties. We demonstrate materials with tunable flexural rigidity and a factor of 44 increase in stiffness between the most rigid and flexible textures, solely by changing print settings. We conclude by showcasing defeXtiles as a sustainable fabrication process that is accessible to hobbyists and artisans, with demonstrations of a wristband with integrated RFID tag and a fascinator hat.