Non-planar 3D printed elements on textile substrate using a fused filament fabrication 3D printer

Abstract Adhesion between additively printed elements on textiles is one of the most important quality characteristics. Applied elements must form very good adhesion with the textile substrate in order to produce functional textiles. The request for non-planar printing directly on textiles is growing, especially in the fields of orthopaedic engineering and protective clothing. This new printing technique can open up new areas of application. For such a production of non-planar elements on textiles, new test methods have to be developed, as the current adhesion tests (180° peel test) are not applicable to non-planar prints on textiles. For non-planar additive printing on textiles, a cylindrical print bed for a fused filament fabrication printer was developed and modified accordingly in the first step. In the next step, a new measurement method was developed to investigate the adhesion between the textile and the non-planar three-dimensional-printed element. The study shows the challenges and the adhesion differences of non-planar printed objects on pre-stretched textiles on a cylindrical print bed. Several factors influencing adhesion were identified. The alignment of the printing nozzle to the textile substrate is the key factor influencing adhesion. The alignment also has a significant influence on the visual print quality.