2017 Volume 43 Issue 3 Pages 97-103
A new 3D printer equipped novel nozzle structure for continuous carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastics (c-CFRTP) was developed and the suitable printing conditions were studied. c-CFRTP filament and additional matrix resin were supplied independently using each extruder, which is useful for variety printing and precise form control in 3D printing. To measure the mechanical properties, specimens for tensile strength testing were fabricated by using c-CFRTP filament (Vf: 50%) without additional matrix resin. The experimental results indicate that the tensile strength and Young’s modulus were 700 MPa and 53 GPa, respectively. The re-crystallization effect through annealing after 3D printing yielded no drastic improvement. The mechanical properties were considerably improved by a hot press process after 3D printing. The tensile strength and Young’s modulus increased to 1,400 MPa and 90 GPa, respectively. These results suggest that one of the useful applications of c-CFRTP 3D printing technology is preforming of small parts in industrial products.
