Bearing strength of low-infill 3D-printed composites

Abstract

This paper deals with the bearing strength of bolted joints. To reduce structural weight, low-infill-rate structures are usually adopted for robot arm structures. Although many researchers have reported the bearing strength of laminated composites, the bearing strength of low-infill-rate 3D-printed structures has not been reported. This paper presents a new bearing strength test method applicable to thick structures. Using the new jigs, the effects of the thickness, twin hole effect, and rotation of the print axis on the plastic yielding strength were experimentally investigated using short carbon fiber/PA-6 composites. As a result, the thickness of the specimens had no effect on the strength, the twin hole reduced the strength by 36%, and the rotation of the print axis increased the strength by 30%.