Direct ink writing of continuous glass fiber reinforced UV curable composites for enhanced mechanical performance

Abstract Continuous fiber reinforcement polymer composites have been greatest opportunities in an assortment of sectors, from automobiles to aerospace, attributable to their remarkable mixes of high durability, excellent strength, flexibility and resistance to corrosion. The composite products can be easily and inexpensively tailored to meet individual requirements for the collaboration with 3D printing. Nevertheless, inadequate research study has been done on the material process property interactions of 3D printed thermoset composites with uninterrupted fiber. In this research work, UV-curable composites supplemented with continuous glass fiber are printed using an inexpensive 3D printing approach based on the direct ink writing (DIW) approach. The fiber tow is coated with an acrylate ink within the printer head during the printing process, and it is eventually extruded onto the printer bed, where it gets exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays to strengthen the materials. The level of quality and mechanical attributes of composites are investigated in connection to several ingredient and fabrication parameters, including resin viscosity, nozzle size, printing rate and substrates temperature. In addition, the printed symmetric laminate’s strength, stiffness and porosity are evaluated. The obtained ultimate strength (29, 38.3 and 52 MPa) has been enhanced by 93%, 107%, and 125%, respectively. The results presented in this research work could assist the automotive and aerospace industries efficiently establish and manufacture composite parts with previously unheard-of mechanical qualities and novel functionality.