TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of Rapid Consolidation on Co-Extruded Additively Manufactured Composites
AU - Savandaiah, Chethan
AU - Sieberer, Stefan
AU - Plank, Bernhard
AU - Maurer, Julia
AU - Steinbichler, Georg
AU - Sapkota, Janak
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This research work has been performed as part of the 3D CFRP (grant Nr. 859832), BeyondInspection (grant Nr. 874540) and Pore3D (grant Nr. 868735). Open Access Funding by the University of Linz.
Funding Information:
This research work has been performed as part of the 3D CFRP (grant Nr. 859832), BeyondInspection (grant Nr. 874540) and Pore3D (grant Nr. 868735). Open Access Funding by the University of Linz.
Funding Information:
Acknowledgements: The Researchers acknowledge the financial support by the EU funded network M-Era.Net, European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through IWB 2014-2020, the BMVIT (Austrian Ministry for Transport, Innovation, and Technology); the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), and the federal state of Upper Austria. Special thanks to the team Wood K plus for the operational assistance and fruitful discussions.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2022/4/29
Y1 - 2022/4/29
N2 - Composite filament co-extrusion (CFC) additive manufacturing (AM) is a bi-matrix rapid fabrication technique that is used to produce highly customisable composite parts. By this method, pre-cured, thermoset-based composite carbon fibre (CCF) is simultaneously extruded along with thermoplastic (TP) binding melt as the matrix. Like additive manufacturing, CFC technology also has inherent challenges which include voids, defects and a reduction in CCF’s volume in the fabricated parts. Nevertheless, CFC AM is an emerging composite processing technology, a highly customisable and user-oriented manufacturing unit. A new TP-based composites processing technique has the potential to be synergised with conventional processing techniques such as injection moulding to produce lightweight composite parts. Thus, CFC AM can be a credible technology to replace unsustainable subtractive manufacturing, if only the defects are minimised and processing reliability is achieved. The main objective of this research is to investigate and reduce internal voids and defects by utilising compression pressing as a rapid consolidation post-processing technique. Post-processing techniques are known to reduce the internal voids in AM-manufactured parts, depending on the TP matrices. Accordingly, the rapid consolidated neat polylactic acid (PLA) TP matrix showed the highest reduction in internal voids, approximately 92%. The PLA and polyamide 6 (PA6) binding matrix were reinforced with short carbon fibre (SCF) and long carbon fibre (LCF), respectively, to compensate for the CCF’s fibre volume reduction. An increase in tensile strength (ca. 12%) and modulus (ca. 30%) was observed in SCF-filled PLA. Furthermore, an approximately 53% increase in tensile strength and a 76% increase in modulus for LCF-reinforced PA6 as the binding matrix was observed. Similar trends were observed in CFC and rapidly consolidated CFC specimens’ flexural properties, resulting due to reduced internal voids.
AB - Composite filament co-extrusion (CFC) additive manufacturing (AM) is a bi-matrix rapid fabrication technique that is used to produce highly customisable composite parts. By this method, pre-cured, thermoset-based composite carbon fibre (CCF) is simultaneously extruded along with thermoplastic (TP) binding melt as the matrix. Like additive manufacturing, CFC technology also has inherent challenges which include voids, defects and a reduction in CCF’s volume in the fabricated parts. Nevertheless, CFC AM is an emerging composite processing technology, a highly customisable and user-oriented manufacturing unit. A new TP-based composites processing technique has the potential to be synergised with conventional processing techniques such as injection moulding to produce lightweight composite parts. Thus, CFC AM can be a credible technology to replace unsustainable subtractive manufacturing, if only the defects are minimised and processing reliability is achieved. The main objective of this research is to investigate and reduce internal voids and defects by utilising compression pressing as a rapid consolidation post-processing technique. Post-processing techniques are known to reduce the internal voids in AM-manufactured parts, depending on the TP matrices. Accordingly, the rapid consolidated neat polylactic acid (PLA) TP matrix showed the highest reduction in internal voids, approximately 92%. The PLA and polyamide 6 (PA6) binding matrix were reinforced with short carbon fibre (SCF) and long carbon fibre (LCF), respectively, to compensate for the CCF’s fibre volume reduction. An increase in tensile strength (ca. 12%) and modulus (ca. 30%) was observed in SCF-filled PLA. Furthermore, an approximately 53% increase in tensile strength and a 76% increase in modulus for LCF-reinforced PA6 as the binding matrix was observed. Similar trends were observed in CFC and rapidly consolidated CFC specimens’ flexural properties, resulting due to reduced internal voids.
KW - composites
KW - carbon fibres
KW - additive manufacturing
KW - rapid consolidation
KW - Computed Tomography
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85130636914&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/polym14091838
DO - 10.3390/polym14091838
M3 - Article
SN - 2073-4360
VL - 14
SP - 1838
JO - Polymers
JF - Polymers
IS - 9
M1 - 1838
ER -