Impact Toughness of FRTP Composites Produced by 3D Printing

Abstract

The additive manufacturing represents a new production method of composites reinforced with a continuous fibre. In recent times, the material produced by this new manufacturing method constituted a replacement for conventional materials—e.g., steel in many technical areas. As the research on FRTP composites is currently under way, the purpose of this article is to add information to the mosaic of studies in this research area. The scientific articles published until now have focused especially on mechanical testing, such as tensile and bending mechanical testing and their assessment. Therefore, the authors decided to carry out and assess the impact test of the FRTP composites produced by 3D printing because this area offers a large extent of research activities. We observed the influence of the reinforcement in the form of the micro-fibre carbon in the thermoplastic (Onyx) or a continuous reinforcement fibre in the lamina on the specimen’s behaviour during the impact load processes. The results of the experimental measurements show that the presence of a continuous fibre in the structure significantly affects the strength of the printed specimens; however, the design process of the printed object has to take into account the importance of selecting a suitable fibre type. The selection of a suitable strategy for arranging the fibre in the lamina and the direction of the impact load against the position of the fibre seem to be very important parameters.