Evaluation and prediction of the tensile properties of continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printed structures

Three dimensional (3D) printing is a technique conventionally used to manufacture prototypes. Commercial desktop 3D printers have become available which produce functional 3D printed parts. The MarkOne by Mark Forged manufactures printed structures reinforced with continuous Carbon, Fiberglass or Kevlar fibers. The aim of this study is to evaluate the elastic properties of the fiber reinforced 3D printed structures and predict elastic properties using an Average Stiffness (VAS) method. Samples evaluated in this study were produced by varying the volume fraction of fibers within the 3D printed structures (4.04, 8.08 and 10.1% respectively). The experimentally determined elastic modulus was found to be 1767.2, 6920.0 and 9001.2 MPa for fiber volume fractions of 4.04, 8.08 and 10.1% respectively. The predicted elastic moduli were found to be 4155.7, 7380.0 and 8992.1 MPa. The model results differed from experiments by 57.5, 6.2 and 0.1% for the 4.04, 8.08 and 10.1% fiber volume fractions. The predictive model allows for the elastic properties of fiber reinforced 3D printed parts. The model presented will allow for designers to predict the elastic properties of fiber reinforced 3D printed parts to be used for functional components which require specific mechanical properties. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.