Influence of Process Parameters on the Properties of Additively Manufactured Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composite Materials: A Review

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a potential engineering technique that could be used in various applications owing to its greatest advantages like flexibility in design, least expensive, versatile material synthesis and low material wastage. From various studies, it was understood that the mechanical performance of fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials (FRPCs) manufactured by AM was influenced by the process parameters to a certain extent. Additionally, numerous studies stated that the strength characteristics of the additively manufactured samples from continuous fibers, like carbon and glass, were high when compared with the samples reinforced with short fibers. Various earlier reviews enunciated that the increase in fiber volume fraction increased the strength and stiffness of the AM components many a times, while the mechanical characteristics of the samples also faced a significant increment due to the addition of fibers. Current work focuses on the influence of process parameters like process of 3D printing, materials used, layer thickness and so on upon the properties of additively manufactured FRPCs. Primary focus of the current study is to determine the effect of factors like thickness of the layer, content of the fiber in volume and the build orientation upon the properties of FRPC components manufactured by AM. This study also outlines the influence of some other parameters like loads applied, environment and analysis models on the properties of AM components along with their merits and demerits.