Abstract:
This study addresses the issue of insufficient interlaminar bonding strength in continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites (CFRTPC) during additive manufacturing. It investigates the optimization effect of Robot-assisted Laser Additive Manufacturing (RLAM) on mode I interlaminar fracture toughness. A response surface methodology was employed to systematically analyze the coupled effects of three critical process parameters: forming pressure, laser power, and printing speed. Double cantilever beam (DCB) specimens made of continuous carbon fiber-reinforced PLA composite (CCF/PLA) were tested according to ASTM D5528, with mode I interlaminar fracture toughness calculated using modified beam theory. The results indicate that, compared to Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), the RLAM process significantly enhances the fiber-resin interfacial bonding strength, generates more fiber bridging, and improves both the initiation value (
GInit) and propagation value (
GProp) of mode I interlaminar fracture toughness due to the combined effects of laser in-situ curing and the pressure exerted by the forming roller. The maximum load-bearing capacity increases to 230.8%, and the fracture time extends by a factor of 1.089. The 3D response surface model shows that an increase in forming pressure generally leads to a decrease in toughness, while both laser power and printing speed have optimal ranges. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed that the model is significant (
P<0.001), and the coefficient of determination (
R2) exceeding 0.98 validates the model’s reliability. Validation using optimized process parameters (forming pressure of 50 N, laser power of 10 W, and printing speed of 20 mm·s
−1) showed that the errors between the predicted and experimental values for
GInit and
GProp were both less than 1%. SEM microstructural analysis further revealed abundant fiber bridging and resin plastic deformation at the RLAM specimen fracture surface, indicating that enhanced interfacial bonding strength is crucial for improving interlaminar performance. This study provides a novel methodology and theoretical basis for fundamentally improving the interlaminar properties of continuous fiber composites through the synergistic optimization of additive manufacturing process parameters.