3D Printing using Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer

This paper studies the use of carbon fiber reinforced material in 3D printing. It includes a literature review on 3D printing technology, the applicability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer material in 3D printing, and the specific technique that is suitable for printing such material. The research methodology includes research on existing data on 3D printing technology, data on carbon fiber reinforced polymer as applied in 3D printing, data on 3D modeling, data on the printing process, and data on the processes. The evaluation of safety is also discussed.

PROJECT PROPOSAL ON 3 D PRINTING USING CARBON FIBER REINFORCED
POLYMER
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction....................................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Literature Review...........................................................................................................4
Chapter 3: Research Question.........................................................................................................6
Chapter 4: Research Scope..............................................................................................................6
Chapter 4: Research Gap.................................................................................................................7
Chapter 5: Research Methodology..................................................................................................7
Chapter 6: Project Budget, Resources and Timeline.....................................................................11
Chapter 7: Team Charter and Communication Strategy................................................................17
Chapter 8: Summary......................................................................................................................18
Bibliography..................................................................................................................................19
List of tables
Table 1: Showing the Resources needed and Budget....................................................................12
.Table 2: Showing the Timeline of Activities................................................................................13

Chapter 1: Introduction
Recently, aluminum was considered as the outstanding material in making fixtures, jigs, and
prototypes because of its ease of machining, favorable costs and the fact that it is readily
available in the market. However, the use of aluminum was very expensive when one analyzes
the labor needed, the costs of tools that are needed and setting up such companies. Therefore, 3
D printers were the next best alternative in designing fixtures, one-off components and
prototypes by applying 3 D printable polymers. Examples of materials that are used in 3 D
printing include fiber reinforced polymers like fiberglass, Kevlar and even carbon fiber.
Currently, companies are shifting to the use of carbon fiber reinforced polymer that possesses the
trait of high end strength enabling it to be used in making industrial parts. The main idea is not
only to print stronger 3D material but also the idea on cost efficiency must be addressed by
applying 3 D printing technology using carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
The application of carbon fiber reinforced polymers in 3 D printing often produce components
and structures that have lighter weights but are efficient and very complex. The first step that the
short carbon fiber reinforced polymers undergo is the compounding phase. Later, they will
undergo processing hereby producing powders, filaments and other components. Lastly, these
components undergo the printing process by applying the fused deposition method (FDM) or
even the selected laser sintering (SLS) method. When calculated, the tensile strength of the
printed components that is nylon-based should exceed 70 MPa.
In processing the continuous carbon fiber reinforced polymers the impregnated, divided and
plastic carbon fiber filaments pass through the preparation phase which is the first step of this
process. Later, the components pas through the printing phase which involves methods like FDM

and SLS. When calculated, the tensile strength of the printed components should exceed 200
MPa. The best material should be applied in 3 D printing. This paper studies the use of carbon
fiber reinforced material in 3 D printing.
Chapter 2: Literature Review
3 D printing is a technology that allows the creation of objects in three dimension state by
stacking numerous thin layers on top of one another. The technology was invented at around
1984 by Charles Hull using a formula called the stereo lithography. In his study, he placed a
perforated platform below a vat consisting of photo polymer. He then applied a laser to trace the
layers of the object resulting in hardening of the photo polymer (Horne, 2017). The process was
repeated until the object was complete.
The main question that Greenemeier et al tried to examine and determine is the importance of
this technology. Currently, 3 D printing is vital in the healthcare sector. Doctors as well as
surgeons can create mockup patient parts and use it to determine the area that is to be operated
on. This can take just a few hours. Similarly, the technology is vital when it comes to skin
transplants. It is used for patients who need to undergo the skin graft procedure. In this instance,
it generates a fake skin that is normally applied by patients who have burns on their bodies. 3 D
printing has also allowed artists to create duplicates of perfect art objects. These applications are
important but it is important to know the type of 3 D printing that is applied for each case
(Jenkins, 2012).
Theoretical studies by Klaus et al have shown that 3 D printing has undergone a huge
transformation and can be easily done by a process called material jetting. In this study, a print
head made up of multi nozzles is used in emission of the material. Ultraviolet light is then

applied in hardening the material this is after each layer of material has been placed. The
application of this process is mostly in printing plastic materials and further studies of using this
process in printing metal alloys have not yet been advanced (Segerman, 2015).
There are still other methods that can be applied in 3 D printing of carbon fiber reinforced
material. The study by Morgan et al on selective laser sintering show that this method applies a
laser beam in fusing thin layers of thermoplastic material that is in powder form. This method is
one type of additive manufacturing that produces components without the use of special tooling.
The lack of specific tooling has become a problem in using this method in 3 D printing as it
cannot match with the other methods that can be applied in producing in small scale and have
freedom when it comes to geometric design (Kloski, 2016). Gradual improvements have made
people to look for better methods of 3 D printing.
According to Horne et al a breakthrough in 3 D printing came by when there was the application
of fused deposition method (FDM) in printing materials. It is another form of additive
manufacturing. It applies the use of computer aided design (CAD) in creating an object. The
nozzle extrudes the material layer after layer until the whole process is complete. FDM has
revolutionized the process of 3 D printing due to the affordability, reliability, and simplicity of
the process. Consumers, students and even manufacturers have all embraced FDM the best kind
of additive manufacturing technologies. A study by Schwab et al has shown on growth rate on
the use of 3 D printing in the 2 decades. The study further reveals that 3 D printing has been
adopted by big players in the manufacturing industry like General Electric and Ford. Aranda et al
expects that 3 D will be the next big player in the technology industry (Smyth, 2015). The FDM
process has been selected for use in research in better ways of advancing the process,

engineering applications and in innovating new materials to be used in the now and the near
future.
The issue on the best materials to use in 3 D printing was a very curious topic. After years of
research by Russell et al some light at the end of the tunnel has been seen in trying to generate
the ultimate 3 D materials. These are the most common materials that are applied in everyday
printing. The nature of these materials has been seen to affect the quality of the print produced.
In addition, the study done by Davis et al reveals that some people have a lot of doubts regarding
3 D printing and the material used in the process. The horizons to explore are still too many.
Even though carbon fiber reinforced material is among those that exhibit great tensile strength
when applied for other purposes, it is necessary to conduct a study to determine if it is the best
material to use in 3 D printing.
Chapter 3: Research Question
This research aims at studying the applicability of carbon fiber reinforced polymer material in 3
D printing and the specific technique that is suitable for printing such material. Also to be
observed will be mechanical properties of the material when used in the experiments.
Chapter 4: Research Scope
The results of this experiment will provide us with the necessary knowhow on the various
materials that are applied in 3 D printing, more so on the quality of objects that the carbon fiber
reinforced polymer material is able to print. In each scenario, the quality of the object will be
noted and analyzed carefully.

Chapter 4: Research Gap
The study will be carried out in order to determine the limits that 3 D printers can achieve.
Several specimens of carbon fiber reinforced polymer materials will be applied in 3 D printing
using the fused deposition modeling. Several kinds of specimens of these materials will be tested
in order to get a better look at their mechanical properties. These properties will be compared to
the available known literature values in order to determine the materials are suitable or not. The
main aim of the study will be to gain more knowhow on the processes that are involved in 3 D
printing. The research gap is how to improve 3 D printing processes with the aid of better carbon
fiber reinforced polymer materials.
Chapter 5: Research Methodology
3 D printing technology is gaining more attention by the day. The technology has been founded
on the available technological diversity like printing materials and the use of laser beams in the
printing process.
In order to determine the technological competitiveness of 3 D printers we will be addressing the
vital technologies that are applied in the printing process. We needed to get more information on
how 3 D printing has evolved technologically which will be vital in forecasting what the future
holds for 3 D printing.
Research on Existing data on 3 D printing technology
This study offers a detailed insight on the application of carbon fiber reinforced polymer material
in 3 D printing. We have taken data from the available sources like books, journals, reports and
press releases and compiled a report as follows:

Data on Historical and current frameworks
In this section we studied the compared the historical and current frameworks that were and are
still applied in 3 D printing. In the 1990’s, 3 D printing methods were considered to best applied
in rapid prototyping. . The decision on which is the best technique that was applied in the
production process was based on the visual, aesthetic and functional properties of the printed
object. Currently, the repeatability, material range and precision have greatly positively changed
making some 3 D techniques to be applied in production processes. The best example on this is
ability to make very complex geometries and shapes using 3 D printing.
Based on most of the books that we studied, fused deposition modeling is the most popular
method of material extrusion that is applied in printing of materials. Fused deposition modeling
(FDM) mainly uses the computer aided design (CAD) that successfully adds layers of materials
bit by bit until the whole process is complete. This technology began to be applied as early as
1988, a large portion of the users then being the hobbyists.
Data on Carbon fiber reinforced polymer as applied in 3 D printing
3 D printing using carbon fiber reinforced polymer materials is still at its initial stages but it
holds the key to better processes like reduction of wastage, the ability to create variable
technologies, efficient part manufacturing, as well as the ability to create variable geometries
using less expensive tools and materials. We have observed that according to Kloski there will be
a growth in the use of this material due to its light weight, tensile strength, stiffness, and better
fatigue resistance properties. Similarly, material extrusion is commonly applied in printing
carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
Data on 3 D modeling

3 D models are normally created using 3 D scanners, or even computer aided design packages.
Most of the data we analyzed show that the use of CAD in 3 D printing often results in a lot of
errors that must be rectified before the onset of the printing process. The manual modeling
processes can be likened to sculpturing as the computer graphics hat are applied her are similar
to those applied in making plastic arts. 3 D scanning process often produces digital models from
digital data that has been collected based on the appearance and shape of the object that is to be
printed.
Data on the printing
Before the onset of the 3 D printing process, all the errors must be analyzed and eliminated.
CAD models tend to be store in the format of stereo lithography (STL). The errors that can be
found in the STL files include manifold, holes, face normals, noise shell and self intersection
errors. In most cases, the 3 D reconstruction processes often result in errors.
Data on the processes
Based on the data provided by several books, the following processes are the most popular when
it comes to 3 D printing. They include binder jetting, sheet lamination, material extrusion, vat
photo polymerization, powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition and material jetting. These
processes tend to differ when it comes to the manner in which the deposition of layers occur and
the materials that are applied in each process. The cost, speed, color capabilities, material cost
are the main factors that affect the type of 3 D printing that is applied.
Analysis of data collected 3 D printing

3 D printing is a fast growing technology that offers advanced solutions to the existing traditional
methods that are applied in manufacturing processes. There is a dynamic change on the
importance of 3 D printing technology that is being analyzed from all perspectives. Current
prices of printers range from $ 500 to 2 million.
In the current generation, we have observed that 3 D printing has been instrumental in various
sectors like manufacturing, medical and even engineering. On the onset of commercialization of
3 D printing technology in 1990, the technology has grown drastically up to 2013 where people
wanted a change in the quality of objects. Consumers have now shifted towards digitizing the
printing process. By 2018, the technologies on 3 D printing were made up of a number of
printers. The printer types were compatible with some materials like polymers, ceramics and
metals.
Similarly, FDM printing technique holds a large portion of the markets which is due to the ease
of operations, aggressive research and technological advancements that are paving way for the
innovation of other reliable and efficient technologies. Design software tends to act as the bridge
that connects the printed hardware and the printed object. The scanning software can now store
images that have been scanned regardless of the dimension and size.
When it comes to the issue on innovations, we observed that 3 D technology will advance much
further if new materials are going to be used in production. Some of the sectors that will be
affected by the materials include the use of 3 D printing in engineering, construction, medical,
food, automotive and aviation industries.
Evaluation of safety

3 D printers are now very cheap thereby enabling the technologies to be easily accessible for
different uses like manufacturing and prototyping by universities, schools, hobbyists and even
companies (Aranda, 2018). The problem is that many people are not aware of the risk involved
in using these printers because the implementation and knowledge about 3 D printing safety
tends to be very limited.
When using 3 D printing one should be concerned about the following;
The melting of carbon fiber reinforced polymer material ultimately leads to some emissions
which in other word is pollution. Some of these emissions are suspected to cause cancer and
even asthma.
The 3 D printers that use the fused deposition modeling technique tend to cause emission of ultra
fine particles that cause the irritation of the skin and eyes as well as persistent head aches.
Similarly, 3 D printers have been known as emitters of volatile organic compounds that cause
serious health risks after long periods of exposure.
How to improve safety while using 3 D printers
 Use 3 D printers in a properly ventilated environment.
 One must wear a protective respiratory mask when using the 3 D printers.
 One must be trained on how to properly operate the printer.
 Use neoprene gloves when handling the printing materials that are uncured.
 Since the liquid materials can some time splash therefore it is advisable to put on eye
protection material.

 In case of any spills, use solvent absorbent pads to wipe the material using solvent
absorbent pads.
Ethical issues
The main ethical issue when using 3 D printing is piracy. Since the users have the ability to make
duplicates then they can easily pirate any object. The issue about copyrights will be put to the
test. A good example is the continued piracy being experienced in the music and movies
industry. 3 D printing has the ability of infringing on the intellectual property. This will be
through the duplication of patented products in large scale. This will further stretch to violations
of copyrights which are safe guard measures that are applied in protecting brands by maintaining
them in their original forms from shay business dealers who deal in counterfeit products.
Chapter 6: Project Budget, Resources and Timeline
Table 1: Showing the Resources needed and Budget
Type of
resource
Name of
resource
Quantity Specification Estimated
cost
AUD $
Total cost
AUD $
Material
needed
3 D printer 1 Creality Ender 3 1100 1250
Software 3 Blender
Tinker card
3 D Printer OS
50 100
Carbon fiber
reinforced
materials
3 Filament made
from
polyacryolonitrile
3000 3500

Neoprene
gloves
5 High quality 20 20
Respiratory
masks
5 Filter PM0.3 10 30
Eye
protection
equipment
5 Anti-fog
sandblasting
glasses
5 15
Solvent
absorbent
pads
1 AWPB100MS 20 20
Laptop 1 17.8 GB RAM
basic graphics
200 2000
Total 6935
.Table 2: Showing the Timeline of Activities
Name of Activity Time taken in days Start Finish
Initial study 10 1-June-2019 10-June-2019
Literature Review 30 10-June-2019 8-July-2019
Determining the
Research method to
apply
10 9-July-2019 18-July-2019
Designing and
carrying out the
10 19-July-2019 28-July-2019

experiment on
software simulation
Identifying of risks 5 29-July-2019 3-Aug-2019
Research project
approval
10 29-July-2019 9-Aug-2019
Collection of the
necessary resources
21 9-Aug-2019 30-Aug-2019
Electrical laboratory
set up
2 30-Aug-2019 2-Sep-2019
Conducting the
experiments
14 3-Sep-2019 17-Sep-2019
Data analysis 10 18-Sep-2019 28-Sep-2019
Data drafting 107 19-July-2019 3-Oct-2019
Making conclusions 10 29-Sep-2019 9-Oct-2019
Final draft 5 10-Oct-2019 15-Oct-2019
Final draft review 7 16-Oct-2019 23-Oct-2019
Final report 7 24-Oct-2019 30-Oct-2019
By taking this course we believe that daily research is the key to future innovations. 3 D printing
technology is still very new in the markets and has been praised for providing breakthroughs.
This motivated us to want to know more about this technology and more specifically about the
use of carbon fiber reinforced material that is used in 3 D printing. We have used various books,
magazines and journal articles thereby gaining vital data about this technology. For the 10days

we have studied on the best type of 3 D printing technique that we can apply for printing carbon
fiber reinforced material. We will be analyzing every month about the literature review about the
application of carbon fiber reinforced material as used in 3 D printing in order to acquire the
basic knowledge about the other materials that can be used as well as the different kinds of 3 D
printing technologies and deriving conclusions from such books. A documented report will be
produced which will contain all the relevant statistics that are as a result of the variations in
experimental conditions as well as all the safety and ethical issues that arise from using 3 D
printing. On approval of our project we will have to set all the favorable conditions that are
required while carrying out experiments. For the purposes of this research, we will undertake our
experiments in the Deakin University research laboratory at the Waurn Ponds Campus in
Geelong.
We have also observed that the prices of resources that are needed to carry out this project like
the 3 D printer and carbon fiber reinforced material are a bit high. So we will have to use up a
maximum of a week to receive quotations from different manufacturers. Similarly, we will have
to order resources like safety wear from renowned retail outlets which are competitive in terms
of their prices.
The observations of the experiments will be taken and drafted on a daily basis. This will start
after commencing with the first experiment and will include collection of data and making of a
detailed report of the statistical analysis of what is observed while carrying out the experiments.
The conclusions of the experiments are to be finalized after 10 days as the experiments will be
repeated several times so as to obtain the desired results. The preparation of the final draft of this
study will take 5 days. All the members will review the draft and make the necessary
adjustments where possible in 7 days. Lastly, the final report will be made in 7 days.

Justification for the necessary resources
3 D Printer
The 3 D printer holds the key to the study. The decision to buy the 3 D printer was due to the
extra costs that we might incur when in conducting the study. The printer is to be used for all the
experiments and provide the necessary statistics that are to be documented. Also the idea of
printing on our own would be faster as compared to ordering for the object to be printed and
posted to us. There is need to gain first hand information and this is achieved in carrying out the
experiments on our own.
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer material
This is the material that is being investigated. All the mechanical properties of the carbon fiber
reinforced polymer material will be put to the test. This will be proven by all the statistical data
that will be collected. Similarly, the quality of the object that is printed too will prove these
properties. The study will be based on deriving conclusions about the material in each
experiment.
Solvent absorbent pads
There is need to handle any spillage of the carbon fiber reinforced polymer since it will be
melted to form a liquid material. Since the material used is hazardous, the absorbent pads will
used to absorb it if it spills thereby marking the workplace safe.
Laptop/ computer

There is need for a computer that with specifications that include high processing power. The
computer will be used in running the Tinker card as well as the Blender software. Similarly it
will be applied in automation of the 3 D printing process.
Software
3 D printing software come in many forms. Some are bought and have a license that has to be
paid for annually, while others are just bought with no string attached like Blender. 3 D modeling
software will depend on where it is to be used as they work best at specific niches. Since we will
be starting a new study there is need to avoid cases where the software can malfunction. In this
case we will purchase two 3 D modeling software, that is the Blender and Tinker card since they
also come with a package that offers beginner lessons as well as built in options that allows one
to print objects using 3 D print service.
Impact of the Research
 We will be able to know the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced polymer.
 We will be able to acquire first hand skills on using a 3 D printer/
 We will be able to know if the material used in printing is suitable.
Chapter 7: Team Charter and Communication Strategy
Team Purpose: This team has been formed to study the application of carbon fiber reinforced
polymer material in 3 D printing.
Duration and Time Commitment: The team has been formed to work as a unit for a total of 5
months. Each member will have to avail him or herself and commit 3 hours daily towards the
successful completion of the study.

Scope: The scope of this project is
Members and Roles:
The team is made up of a total of 5 members. The name and role that each member is to
undertake is as listed below;
Aluri Vikranth Rao: Collecting the resources that are needed to carry out the experiment.
Pulkit Sharma: Collecting the resources that are needed to carry out the experiment.
Aditya: Setting up the conditions that are necessary to perform the experiments as well as
collection of the results. Similarly, analyzing the results based on the experiments and giving the
best conclusions
Varun Khanna: Setting up the conditions that are necessary to perform the experiments as well
as collection of the results. Similarly, analyzing the results based on the experiments and giving
the best conclusions
Venkatesh Prasad Reddy: Setting up the conditions that are necessary to perform the
experiments as well as collection of the results. Similarly, analyzing the results based on the
experiments and giving the best conclusions
Team Meeting and Reporting plan: The team plans to meet twice a week to carry out the
experiments and discuss the progress that has been made regarding the study. Weekly updates on
the individual contribution of members, the status of available resources, completion of the
various tasks and any pending vital business will be reported.
Code of Conduct: All the members are expected to arrive on time during every team meeting.
Also, members are expected to undertake their respective responsibilities assigned to them by the
group and not lazy around waiting for the others to do your job for you.

Team Communication: We will be using various means of communication like as e-mails and
texts and these modes will be used outside the meeting area. Each member is to give prompt
responses to messages/inquiries when required. If a member feels that he/she is unable to deliver
as promised, they should inform the group in advance so that the group can deliberate on the next
option that is available.
Chapter 8: Summary
3 D printing has a great future as it is expected to bring revolutions in the manufacturing sector.
The technology is still very new and should be considered as it has led to some breakthroughs
more so in the health care sector. The biggest challenge that 3 D printing ha snow is the limited
materials that can be applied in printing objects. Apart from metals, ceramics, resins and plastics
there are no other materials that ca be applied. When applied in other sectors like the
construction industry, carbon fiber reinforced polymer material has shown great promise and has
been in most cases applied due its mechanical properties that make it lighter and stronger than
some metals. This study will attempt to proven on the application of carbon fiber reinforced
polymer using fused deposition modeling. 3 D technology is viewed as the next industrial
revolution, but it needs the best quality of materials to do this.
Work done by each member
Team member name Contribution
Aditya Literature Review and Summary
Varun Khanna Introduction and Research Method
Venkatesh Prasad Reddy Project Budget and Timeline

Pulkit Sharma Team Charter
Aluri Vinkranth Rao Resources
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