3D printing continuous fibre reinforced and bio-mimicked layered composites with enhanced damage resilience

This paper introduces an updated 3D printing technology to additively manufacture composites. It aims to produce continuous fibre reinforced and bio-mimicked layered composites with enhanced damage resilience in the through thickness way. This technology is developed from authors' previous bio-mimicked composite sandwiches with enhanced damage resilience and based on the using commercial 3D printing technology for composites. This technology has been validated using 3D printed samples through mechanically bending tests. This technology can enhance damage resilience by more than 90%, reduce manufacture costs by 94% and produce products 50 times faster, compared to common composite sandwiches produced by traditional technologies. Meanwhile, an overall mechanical and fracture properties are conducted based on the bending test outcomes. A modelling prediction using the extended cohesive damage model and the conducted material properties is investigated and compared with test solutions for validation. This technology provides a highly costeffective approach to produce future composites with enhanced damage resilience for applications in a wide range of engineering sectors.