Novel designable strategy and multi-scale analysis of 3D printed thermoplastic fabric composites

In this paper, both novel designable strategy and mechanical properties of 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic fabric composites (CFRTPFCs) are studied. The resin infiltration, temperature change and resin curing of 3D printed CFRTPFCs during manufacturing processes are simulated, and the mechanical properties of the composites are analyzed using the multi-scale fluid-solid coupling method. The influences of the ratio between the length and the width, and the printing method on the mechanical behaviors of 3D printed CFRTPFCs are discussed, which shows that the fiber volume fraction plays the most important role on the strength of composites, and the aspect ratio of beads has the greatest impact on the space utilization of the fabric composites. Also, the performance of 3D printed materials can be improved by reducing the distance between tows, decreasing the thickness of fabric and using plain fabric method compared with that made by traditional resin transfer molding (RTM). This paper has guiding significance for the micro-macro scale structural design and property evaluation of 3D printed CFRTPFCs.