3D Printing of Composite Materials

Can robotic 3D printing produce structural parts for autonomous boats? At Holit , we recently explored this question in a feasibility study for an automated Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) using large-scale robotic pellet 3D printing. To test the concept, we designed and printed a full USV hull just over 1 meter long, produced in ~10 hours of robotic printing. The design integrates a custom internal pattern in the central section to increase stiffness while keeping the structure lightweight. The internal structure was specifically developed to balance stiffness and weight for this type of marine application. The final part weighs around 8 kg. The part was printed using FGFT HIPC (High Impact Performance Composite), a fiber-reinforced material developed for applications where impact resistance, strength, and durability are important. At Holit , we regularly explore new materials and applications to understand where robotic additive manufacturing can create real engineering value. #AdditiveManufacturing #Robotic3DPrinting #LargeScale3DPrinting #MarineTechnology #AutonomousSystems

Interested in sustainable materials for #3Dprinting via #FusedFilamentFabrication (FFF)? Delighted to share our latest collaborative research on a novel #thermoplastic #PLA-based #biocomposite reinforced with short #yucca #fibers (from Algeria), extracted using both traditional and water retting methods. With only 1 wt% of traditionally extracted fiber, we enhanced: 🔹 +31% tensile strength (61 MPa) 🔹 +27% compressive strength (89 MPa) 🔹 +66% fatigue life (40,185 cycles) 🔹 thermal stability (Tmax = 394 °C) This is another sustainably engineered composite for the FFF 3D printing materials library, with high potential for durable consumer product applications. You may please pead the full paper <https://lnkd.in/eR-cM3DS> and share your thoughts. Researchers: Med Amine Kacem, Moussa Guebailia, Mohammadreza Lalegani, Said Abdi, Pr Sabba Nassila, Ali Zolfagharian, Mahdi Bodaghi.

Researchers developed a hybrid bioprinting platform—the Hybprinter—that combines molten material extrusion for rigid polymers like PCL with DLP bioprinting for soft, cell-laden hydrogels. This approach enables continuous fabrication of multi-material constructs that are both mechanically strong and biologically active. For example, rigid bone-like scaffolds infused with soft, cell-supportive hydrogels. Compared to hydrogel-only prints, the hybrid structures achieved a 1000× increase in mechanical strength and could even be sutured, bridging the gap between lab-printed tissues and surgical handling. The researchers used GelMA for their DLP-printed hydrogel components, but other photocrosslinkable materials such as CollPlant’s methacrylated recombinant type I human collagen could be explored for similar applications. Read the full publication: https://lnkd.in/ggPsJG2v #3dbioprinting #tissueengineering #cellculture

In aerospace and defense manufacturing, one of the trickiest challenges has long been creating hollow composite structures with internal geometries that would typically require labor-intensive, multi-step tooling and sacrificial core removal. However, using 3D-printed wash-away cores is changing all of that. Its cores are printed with binder jet technology, coated for composite lay-up, and then washed out, eliminating severe distortion and the pain of manual extraction. The approach lets engineers create complex mandrels with controlled thermal expansion and isotropic behavior during autoclave curing, but also allows reuse of the wash-out material, adding a sustainability advantage.

“The research uses a nanocomposite material comprising inorganic, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) fillers embedded in a thermoplastic polymer. By carefully combining additives, surface treatments and thermal post-processing, the team created a crystalline polymer structure that bridges the highly conductive fillers, significantly enhancing thermal conductivity… The nanocomposite is first formed into continuous filament, which can then be fed into a desktop 3D printer to create complex structures such as heat sinks, thermal spreaders, mounting plates or panel covers. The 3D printing process further aligns the fillers, boosting the material’s performance.” #additivemanufacturing #3dprinting #army #usmilitary #research #materials #polymer #heat #thermalresearch #engineering

【Multi-material co-extrusion for precise 3D printing of miniaturized wearable TENG sensors】 Nano Energy ( IF 17.1 ) Pub Date : 2025-11-20 , DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2025.111593 Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based sensors, which convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals, have attracted significant attention for wearable device applications. This interest has driven the development of diverse structural designs and fabrication methods. However, challenges persist due to complex manufacturing processes and limitations in miniaturization. To address these issues, this study introduces a cartridge-based co-extrusion 3D printing technology. This method utilizes a compartmentalized cartridge that integrates multiple materials and extrudes them simultaneously through a syringe, enabling one-step fabrication without the need for post-assembly. The internal architecture of the cartridge and the specifications of the attached micro-nozzle allow for precise internal patterning and the miniaturization of printed structures. To ensure reliable extrusion and structural integrity, the inks were formulated with tailored viscoelastic properties, including sufficient shear-thinning behavior for smooth deposition and shape retention. Based on this stable process, the electrical performance of TENG sensors was evaluated by varying inner layer ratios, fiber diameters, and printing configurations. The sensors consistently generated distinguishable signals under different motion types and contact conditions, demonstrating high sensitivity and functional reliability. Moreover, the printed devices also showed potential as actuators, broadening their applications in wearable electronics, healthcare, robotics, and human–machine interfaces. https://lnkd.in/e4aWuNWy

If we are serious about bringing manufacturing back to the West 🏭, we have to rethink how things are made. One of the most practical ways to do that is by adopting true multi-material 3D printing. And please, do not confuse this with multi-color printing, that's for toys and statues. I'm talking about combining a rigid engineering polymer (like Carbon-Filled Nylon) with a soft, flexible rubber (like TPU) in a single run. Trying to push these different polymers through one nozzle is an engineering nightmare. The temperatures clash, and the process is slow and wasteful. To do this reliably, you need a Toolchanger, a system in which every material gets its own perfectly tuned hotend. When you have that capability sitting on a desktop, it completely changes how you design products: 💧 Water-Soluble Supports: Intricate parts need supports you usually have to break away with pliers. Now, you can print the main part in a tough polymer and the supports in PVA. Drop the part in water, the supports dissolve completely, and you get a flawless surface. ⚙️ Zero-Assembly Mechanics: Print a rigid enclosure with a tough, flexible TPU hinge already built in. It comes off the bed ready to use: no gluing, no screws, no assembly line. 💰 Smart Material Use: Need incredible strength? Print just the outer shell in an expensive carbon-filled nylon, and fill the inside with an affordable basic filament. When you can securely produce complex, multi-property end-use parts right in your own workshop, you stop relying on fragile overseas supply chains. You keep your IP in-house. The materials are ready. The hardware has finally caught up. If you could combine two completely different materials into one single part today, what would you build? Let me know below. 👇 #3Dprinting #AdditiveManufacturing #Reshoring #MultiMaterial #Prusa