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In additive manufacturing, printing parameters interact interdependently, making it challenging to predict their combined influence on mechanical performance. Hybridizing different materials for synergistic benefits further increases complexity, making material property optimization more challenging. This study investigates these interdependencies by analyzing the impact resistance and fracture behavior of PLA polymer and hybrid PLA-CFRP composites. Additionally, an experimental data-driven AI model is employed to generate optimized infill patterns, enhancing mechanical performance through experimental validation. This study examines the impact strength and fracture behavior of both PLA polymer and hybrid PLA-CFRP composites with 14 infill patterns and four printing orientations (upright, on-edge, flat, and tilt). Results show that orientation has a more significant effect on impact strength than infill patterns for PLA specimens, with the on-edge orientation performing best and the upright orientation weakest. In hybrid PLA-CFRP samples, triangle infill patterns in flat and tilt orientations exhibited superior impact strength, while lightning patterns showed lower strength and variability due to their asymmetry. Microscopic analysis revealed mechanical interlocking between PLA and CFRP despite their differing polymer types. Fracture behavior for PLA ranged from smooth cracks to delamination and infill pull-out, while hybrid PLA-CFRP composites exhibited rough cracks and CFRP to PLA separation. Among printing parameters, infill patterns significantly influence impact resistance and can be optimized for improved performance. This study employs empirical optimization based on real experimental data, ensuring that the resulting designs achieve the desired mechanical performance with practical validation. These findings guide the optimization of PLA molds for hybrid composites, promoting robust designs and suggesting future studies on adaptive infill structures for enhanced performance.
Lee et al. (Fri,) studied this question.