Combining 3D printed forms with textile structures - mechanical and geometrical properties of multi-material systems

The 3D printing belongs to the rapidly emerging technologies which have the chance to revolutionize the way products are created. In the textile industry, several designers have already presented creations of shoes, dresses or other garments which could not be produced with common techniques. 3D printing, however, is still far away from being a usual process in textile and clothing production. The main challenge results from the insufficient mechanical properties, especially the low tensile strength, of pure 3D printed products, prohibiting them from replacing common technologies such as weaving or knitting. Thus, one way to the application of 3D printed forms in garments is combining them with textile fabrics, the latter ensuring the necessary tensile strength. This article reports about different approaches to combine 3D printed polymers with different textile materials and fabrics, showing chances and limits of this technique. (paper)