Application of Embedded Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) Sensors in Monitoring Health to 3D Printing Structures

Abstract

The 3D printing technology is known as a core technology in the third industrial revolution. The 3D printing structures are more popular and used as key components of products, so that monitoring health of 3D printing structures is particularly important. Moreover, the fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing technology is a new type of sensing technology, and FBG sensors have its unique advantages so that they have great application prospects in monitoring health of structures. FBG sensors were embedded inside a 3D printing structure, which strain variation is monitored by the FBG sensors during the loading process in this paper. Comparison was carried out between the measured and theoretical results to investigate thoroughly validity and reliability of the embedded FBG sensors for monitoring health of the 3D printing structure. Test results show that the embedded FBG sensors may be utilized to effectively monitor the strain variation of the 3D printing structure during the loading process; the measured and theoretical results show a good agreement and the straightness may be up to above 0.9998, so that the reliability is very good. Our results can also be guidance for monitoring health of 3D print structures.