Effect of fiber reinforcement on the open hole tensile strength of 3D printed composites

Abstract

Initially, Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) based 3D printed parts are only used as prototyping rather than the functional components. However, due to new advancements in the FDM process and its ability to add continuous fibers into the polymer parts, FDM made part can now be used as functional parts. Composites fabricated from the FDM process can be used in aerospace and automotive applications. Still, the applications of FDM made parts are limited due to the lack of critical information about the reliability and mechanical properties of the components. Therefore, in the present investigation, the effect of fiber reinforcement on the open hole tensile strength of the FDM printed part is investigated. Onyx as a polymer matrix material and HSHT (High Strength High Temperature) fiberglass as a continuous fiber reinforcement are used for the study. It is observed that the fiber reinforcement into the polymer matrix significantly increases the open hole tensile strength, but it also increases the specimen weight and printing time.