Quality of Surface Texture and Mechanical Properties of PLA and PA-Based Material Reinforced with Carbon Fibers Manufactured by FDM and CFF 3D Printing Technologies

Polymers (Basel). 2021 May 21;13(11):1671. doi: 10.3390/polym13111671.

Abstract

The paper presents the results of mechanical tests of models manufactured with two 3D printing technologies, FDM and CFF. Both technologies use PLA or PA-based materials reinforced with carbon fibers. The work includes both uniaxial tensile tests of the tested materials and metrological measurements of surfaces produced with two 3D printing technologies. The test results showed a significant influence of the type of technology on the strength of the models built and on the quality of the technological surface layer. After the analysis of the parameters of the primary profile, roughness and waviness, it can be clearly stated that the quality of the technological surface layer is much better for the models made with the CFF technology compared to the FDM technology. Furthermore, the tensile strength of the models manufactured of carbon fiber-enriched material is much higher for samples made with CFF technology compared to FDM.

Keywords: 3D printing; CFF; FDM; carbon fibers; mechanical properties; polymers.