Why Choose Composite 3D Printing? Experts Give Their Advice!

Today, there are many materials compatible with additive manufacturing, from thermoplastics to metals, ceramics and photosensitive resins. They offer a wide range of properties to meet the requirements of multiple sectors such as aerospace, automotive, or medical. Looking at the family of polymers, composites, or fiber-based reinforced materials, can also be found. Available in powder or filament form, these materials offer more interesting mechanical characteristics than traditional polymers, such as better rigidity, impact resistance, lightness, and more. As a result, more and more companies are starting to rely on composite materials in additive manufacturing. But how can you integrate composite 3D printing into your production chain? Which material should you choose? We met with 3 experts in the sector who answered our questions about composite 3D printing!

Our first expert is François Edy, technical manager of the Kimya Factory. This is the additive manufacturing service offered by the ARMOR group. Today, François ensures the quality of manufactured parts, production deadlines, and advises customers. Here we focus on his work with composite additive manufacturing using extrusion, and more specifically on composite filaments. The second expert is Fedor Antonov, the CEO and co-founder of Anisoprint, a leading manufacturer of continuous fiber 3D printing solutions. Last but not least, Farbod Nezami, one of CIKONI’s managing directors, brings our panel of experts full circle. CIKONI is a specialized engineering service provider for lightweight design, focusing on the hybridization of additive manufacturing and load path reinforcements via fiber reinforcements.

Composite materials in 3D printing

A composite material is a material reinforced by a fiber, which gives it additional mechanical properties. This base material is called a matrix and could be one of a wide range of polymers on the additive manufacturing market.This results in a mixture of materials with superior properties for example they are typically stronger and stiffer. The most popular composite materials include carbon fiber and glass fiber. Parts made from carbon fiber or CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) are strong yet lightweight. These properties make CFRP a popular material for a wide range of applications. For example, in the aerospace, automotive and sporting goods industries. Glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP) in contrast are not quite as robust as CFRP, but their chemical resistance and dielectric properties make them ideal for applications in the electrical industry.