3D printed carbon-fibre reinforced composite lattice structures with good thermal-dimensional stability

A good dimensional stability is a crucial property of any base-platform structure for the attachment of high precision optical or mechanical devices, such as imaging equipment, satellite antennas, thermal sensors, etc., where the surrounding temperature may fluctuate substantially. The present study demonstrates how such a base-platform in a form of a dual-composite, planar-lattice structure can be designed and rapidly, and conveniently, manufactured using 3D printing via fused filament fabrication (FFF). Specifically, the planar-lattice consists of a central cross-lattice manufactured using a continuous carbon-fibre reinforced polyamide (CCF/PA) composite with four interlocking outer-strips manufactured using a short carbon-fibre reinforced polyamide (SCF/PA) composite. Numerical finite-element analyses of the planar-lattices are developed, and validated by experimental results, with respect to their thermal-deformation behaviour. This numerical analysis is then used to study the effects of various types of fibre architecture for the composites that might be used to manufacture the planar-lattice. The results demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of 3D printing, using FFF, to manufacture base-platform structures which use dual-composite materials, based upon carbon-fibre reinforced polyamide materials, in order to achieve a very good thermal-dimensional stability.