Pin-bearing mechanical behaviour of continuous reinforced Kevlar fibre composite fabricated via fused filament fabrication

In this study, the pin bearing behaviour of a 3D printed composite material with Kevlar reinforcement was analysed. Three different experimental tests were designed to determine the effects of fibre orientation, layer design, and fibre distribution along the specimen thickness. Furthermore, the pin-bearing strength and stiffness were analysed using statistical methods as analysis of variance. The results indicate a significant increase in bearing strength and stiffness for at least two fibre orientations, i.e. 0 degrees and 90 degrees with respect to the pin displacement. The results also highlight a no significant variation of strength and stiffness for parts produced adopting a mixed or single fibre orientation; finally, the findings do not indicate any significant influence of the fibre layer position inside the specimen, i.e. this parameter does not limit the freedom when designing a fibre-reinforced part.