Abstract

In this Project, tensile and shear tests were carried out on additively manufactured parts using both rigid and flexible materials. The results show that the 0° and grid configurations provide the highest strength in both types of test. In addition, the incorporation of overlap increases the failure load and allows a residual load to be maintained over a greater deformation, which may be particularly useful for components forming part of more complex assemblies.

The flexible material used (TPU) presents significant processing difficulties, mainly related to under-extrusion during printing pauses. This issue can compromise part quality and requires supervision during manufacturing, currently limiting process autonomy.

Finally, the application example demonstrates the potential of combining rigid and flexible materials within a single part, allowing components that would conventionally require several parts and assembly operations to be manufactured in a single process. This capability opens up possibilities for developing more complex geometries that integrate rigid and flexible regions according to the requirements of each application.

As future work, it would be worthwhile to complete the characterisation through peel tests and to optimise the printing conditions of the flexible material in order to improve its reliability and facilitate its application in multi-material components.