Experimental and prediction analysis of high-velocity impact resistance of 3D printed PLA and carbon fiber reinforced PLA composites

Abstract This work describes the high-velocity impact behaviour of 3D-printed square plates manufactured from neat PLA and carbon fiber-reinforced PLA (CFPLA) composites. The plates are fabricated with 5 mm,10 mm, and 15 mm thicknesses to investigate geometric effects on impact behaviour, High-velocity impact tests are carried out using a piston-type gas gun test machine, where hemispherical projectiles of 11.23 mm diameter impact the specimens at velocities ranging from 50 m s −1 to 160 m s −1 . The experimental data are used to validate a hybrid analytical framework that combines Johnson-Cook material modeling with Central Composites Design (CCD) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis to predict the ballistic limit and penetration depth of the specimens. The ANN model, developed using both experimental and simulation data demonstrates good accuracy in predicting energy absorption characteristics of both PLA and CFPLA samples. Parametric analyses show that CFPLA specimens exhibit superior energy absorption and impact resistance compared to neat PLA configurations. Additional tensile and three-point bending tests further confirm the enhanced performance of CFPLA for high-performance applications. This integrated methodology provides a reliable framework for improving ballistic limit and penetration depth predictions in advanced 3D printed materials for impact loading.