Modified moving particle semi-implicit method for 3D print process simulations of short carbon fiber/polyamide-6 composites

Abstract

In 3D printing of short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites using the fused filament fabrication method, numerical simulation of the printing process is required to predict voids between print paths and to estimate the fusion of composites. In this study, the moving particle semi-implicit method for liquid simulation was extended to short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites considering the latent heat of melting and solidification with composite particles. Numerical simulation of the 3D printing process of short carbon fiber/PA6 composites was conducted, and the results were compared with those of experiments; the simulated print path cross-sectional configuration agreed well with the experimental results.

Keywords

• Carbon fiber
• Thermoplastic resin
• Computational modeling
• Short carbon fiber
• 3D Printer