Mechanical Properties of Textile-Reinforced Composites with a 3D Printed Core

The article discusses the mechanical properties of glass fiber epoxy composites with three types of textile structures. Braided, knitted and woven sleeves were placed on a 3D printed flat core and impregnated with resin using the vacuum bag method. The 3-point flexural and tensile tests were performed. The results were compared with those of 3D-printed flat bars and proved that woven textile structures increase the strength and modulus of elasticity, whereas braided and knitted structures only increase the moduli. The advantages, drawbacks and failure modes of each reinforcement structure are also discussed including the drapeability on the spatial core.