3D printing of textile-based structures by Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) with different polymer materials

3D printing is a form of additive manufacturing, i.e. creating objects by sequential layering, for pre-production or production. After creating a 3D model with a CAD program, a printable file is used to create a layer design which is printed afterwards. While often more expensive than traditional techniques like injection moulding, 3D printing can significantly enhance production times of small parts produced in small numbers, additionally allowing for large flexibility and the possibility to create parts that would be impossible to produce with conventional techniques. The Fused Deposition Modelling technique uses a plastic filament which is pushed through a heated extrusion nozzle melting the material. Depending on the material, different challenges occur in the production process, and the produced part shows different mechanical properties. The article describes some standard and novel materials and their influence on the resulting parts.