Carbon Fiber 3D Printing: Technologies and Performance—A Brief Review

Abstract

Additive manufacturing is evolving in the direction of carbon fiber 3D printing, a technology that combines the versatility of three-dimensional printing with the exceptional properties of carbon fiber. This work aims to provide a brief review of the main methodologies used in carbon fiber 3D printing, focusing particularly on the two most widespread types: continuous fiber printing and short fiber printing. In the context of continuous fiber printing, the process of embedding a continuous carbon fiber into a polymer matrix will be examined, resulting in the achievement of high-performance lightweight structural components. On the other hand, short fiber printing involves the use of short carbon fibers mixed in turn with polymeric materials, with the advantage of having greater ease of processing and obtaining highly performing components with large-scale economic investments that are lower in cost than additive manufacturing using continuous fiber printing. Furthermore, this work will conduct an evaluation of the mechanical properties of products printed using both technologies, focusing on key aspects, such as strength, stiffness, weight, and resistance to mechanical stress. The specific advantages and challenges associated with each printing technique will also be analyzed.

On mechanical characterization and damage analysis of additively manufactured continuous fiber/poly‐lactic acid bio‐composite using in‐nozzle technique

“…The advancements in FFF printing have allowed the development of continuous fiber‐reinforced composite through a 3D printing routine 7,8 . However, some specific issues were identified: inadequate layer bonding, presence of void spaces between beads and layers, lower use of CF volume, and material compatibility, which limits the applicability of CFR‐3DP 9,10 . Therefore, researchers have adopted various techniques that integrate continuous fiber reinforcement into the 3D printing process and eliminate the possibility of the aforementioned issue.…”

“…7,8 However, some specific issues were identified: inadequate layer bonding, presence of void spaces between beads and layers, lower use of CF volume, and material compatibility, which limits the applicability of CFR-3DP. 9,10 Therefore, researchers have adopted various techniques that integrate continuous fiber reinforcement into the 3D printing process and eliminate the possibility of the aforementioned issue. Currently, an approach of encompassing preimpregnation fibers before entering the print nozzle is a technique employed by commercial 3D printing systems such as Markforged Mark Two.…”

Study on Thin Lamination of Carbon Fiber Based on Mechanical Broadening

“…Carbon fiber, as a reinforcing phase in fiber-reinforced composite materials, has a wide range of application scenarios [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]. Despite exceptional mechanical properties exhibited by carbon fiber composites, the matrix penetration effect in the carbon fiber is not ideal during the preparation of composite materials, resulting in easy production of gaps and defects between individual filaments [ 5 , 6 ].…”