Design and development of 3D printed high performance textile structures for composites

Three dimensional (3D) printers offer a variety of design and geometry options, which are substantially demanded in textile industry. In this study, the aim is to produce neat nylon and glass fiber reinforced 3D printed honeycombs and introduce them into the structural composites to enhance the overall flexural and compressive properties. A significant increase in the mechanical response is observed, both in flexural and compression modes, when compared to sandwich composites with commercial aluminum honeycombs. In particular, the increase in compressive properties of 3D printed glass fiber reinforced nylon structures is attributed to the combined effect of the two factors as the inherent strength of glass fibers and well-designed filler geometry.