Development of a Novel Hybrid Manufacturing Technology For Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Thermo-Plastic Composites

Abstract In this study, we present a novel approach for the production of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites by combining injection molding and additive manufacturing. After exploring the design requirements, we manufactured inserts via continuous fiber-reinforced 3D printing, then we used them as reinforcement for injection-molded samples. Improper fiber placement can cause warpage as the continuous fibers prevent shrinking; however, warpage can be compensated with the insert geometry. The reinforcement resulted in an increase of about 30% in the properties tested.