Enhanced Mechanical Performance of Resin-Infused 3D-Printed Polymer Lattices

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) technology provides a flexible and cost-effective solution for the manufacture of polymer components, enabling the precise design of structures and the incorporation of a variety of composite materials. Its development is confirmed by numerous studies on fibre reinforcements (e.g., GFRP and CF) and thermosetting resin modifications, resulting in improved impact strength and fracture toughness and increased thermal stability of products. The final mechanical properties are significantly influenced by processing parameters (e.g., fill density, layer height, and printing speed) and internal geometry (e.g., lattice structures), which can be further optimised by numerical analyses using constitutive models such as the Johnson-Cook model. The focus of the study presented here is on the fabrication of composites from FDM dies filled with F8 polyurethane resin. Filaments, including PETG carbon and PETG, were tested for potential applications with the resin. A static compression test, supported by numerical analysis using the Johnson-Cook model, was carried out to identify key mechanical characteristics and to predict the material's behaviour under different loading conditions. The results indicate that these structures exhibit numerous potential delamination planes and voids between filament paths, leading to relatively low maximum stress values (σ ≈ 2.5-3 MPa). However, the impregnation with polyurethane resin significantly enhances these properties by bonding the layers and filling the pores, resulting in a more homogeneous and stronger composite. Additionally, numerical simulations effectively captured key aspects of structural behaviour, identifying critical stress concentration areas, particularly along the side walls and in regions forming triangular stress zones. These findings provide valuable insights into the potential of resin-filled FDM structures in engineering applications, demonstrating their improved performance over purely printed samples.