Investigating and comparing the mechanical properties of ABS/GF continuous fiber composite and ABS polymer produced by fused deposition modeling method

The upcoming article investigates the mechanical properties of FDM printed composite material with continuous glass fibers and ABS matrix. The printer designed to produce this composite uses ABS polymer filament and ABS/GF pre-impregnated composite filament. Pre-impregnated filament is designed and produced by a filament production line. In order to build a 3D printer with composite printing capability, a normal FDM printer was subjected to modifications in the structure and nozzle. Finally, after building a 3D printer with composite printing capability, tensile and bending samples were printed and the mechanical properties were tested according to standard instructions. The obtained properties were also compared with the printed pure ABS sample. The modulus of elasticity and tensile strength of the ABS/GF sample has increased by 540% and 260%, respectively, compared to the printed pure ABS sample. Based on the three-point bending test, the modulus and flexural strength of the printed composite have increased by 140% and 100%, respectively, compared to the pure polymer sample. The duration of making composite by FDM printer is not much different compared to polymer printing, but due to the presence of continuous glass fibers or other reinforcing fibers it greatly improves the mechanical properties of the manufactured sample, that's why the use of this method can be justified compared to FDM printing with pure polymer method.