STUDY OF FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES PROCESSING USING FUSED DEPOSITION MODELLING TECHNOLOGY

• Main Author: Budisina Baharuddin, Sidi
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/56506
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) has been used to obtain fiber-reinforced thermoplastic polymer composite to process complex geometric products with little byproducts. Evaluation of the FDM short/long fiber-reinforced composite has been conducted, however, the tensile strength of the material is still poor. Thus, the purpose of this research is to understand the effect of FDM parameters process on the tensile strength of the composite through literature study and tensile testing. The tensile properties of polylactic acid (PLA) and PLA/short carbon fiber were tested and then examined through metallographic, stereomicroscopy, as well as scanning electron microscope (SEM) evaluation. The fabrication of fiber-einforced thermoplastic composite can be achieved with the single head method, the dual head method, and in-nozzle impregnation, depending on the type of filament, matrixes, fiber length, speed and production cost, as well as in consideration of various process parameters. High strength, short fiber-reinforced composite obtained with the single head method needs high fraction of short fibers with the right sizing, large diameter nozzle, and low layer height. High strength, long fiber-reinforced composite obtained with the dual head method and in-nozzle impregnation needs a low layer height, flat orientation, unidirectional fiber orientation, elevated extrusion temperature, elevated printing speed, added pressure, and triangle deposited pattern. The low strength of PLA/short carbon resulting from FDM can be caused by the manufacturing process which still results in voids and poor fiber-matrix interface bond.