The Road to Improved Fiber-Reinforced 3D Printing Technology

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) is at the forefront of the disruptive innovations adding a new dimension in the material fabrication process with numerous design flexibilities. Especially, the ability to reinforce the plastic matrix with nanofiber, microfiber, chopped fiber and continuous fiber has put the technology beyond imagination in terms of multidimensional applications. In this technical paper, fiber and polymer filaments used by the commercial 3D printers to develop fiber-reinforced composites are characterized to discover the unknown manufacturing specifications such as fiber–polymer distribution and fiber volume fraction that have direct practical implications in determining and tuning composites’ properties and their applications. Additionally, the capabilities and limitations of 3D printing software to process materials and control print parameters in relation to print quality, structural integrity and properties of printed composites are discussed. The work in this paper aims to present constructive evaluation and criticism of the current technology along with its pros and cons in order to guide prospective users and 3D printing equipment manufacturers on improvements, as well as identify the potential avenues of development of the next generation 3D printed fiber-reinforced composites.