Abstract:
Continuous fiber additive manufacturing has been widely applied in aerospace, biomedical, and energy-efficient lightweight industries owing to its advantages in fabricating complex components with high specific strength, integrated forming, and environmentally sustainable production. However, the relatively poor interlayer bonding performance of composites fabricated by this technology remains a critical limitation. To address this issue, an innovative printing nozzle integrated with in-situ compaction functionality was developed for continuous carbon fiber-reinforced polylactic acid (CCF/PLA) composites. Experimental validation demonstrated that the optimized hot-pressing device effectively enhanced interlayer consolidation during the additive manufacturing process. Under optimal process parameters (compaction force is 30 N, temperature is 150 ℃), the interlaminar shear strength of the composites was increased by 104.2%, reaching 16.95 MPa, while the surface roughness was reduced to 14.07 μm. Microstructural analysis revealed improved fiber-matrix adhesion and reduced interfacial voids. This study provides a practical framework for enhancing interlayer performance in 3D-printed continuous fiber composites, with implications for process optimization in high-performance applications.