3D Printing Based on Material Extrusion to Create Surface Patterns on Textile Fabrics

Abstract

3D printing technology has been developing rapidly in recent years. This technology is extensively used for producing prototypes of products and their designs with a wide range of materials in the manufacturing industry. The Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM) process uses the extrusion of molten thermoplastic materials through heated printing nozzle to create design objects layer by layer. The current research was to develop 3D printing technology on textile fabrics to create surface design based on FDM process using the Ultimake 3D printer. Printing parameters play an important role for printing on fabrics specially to achieve strong adhesion between the printed patterns and the surface of the fabrics. This research developed a method for assessing the attachment strength in the interface between the printed objects and the surface of fabrics. The effect of the initial setting distance between the printing nozzle and the printing platform on the performance of 3D printed fabrics was investigated. The research work demonstrated the ability to create different design patterns in 3D on the fabrics with excellent durability to washing, which shows potential for the commercial application in fashion industry.