Adherend-Limited Failure in LCD Print-to-Bond Woven Fabric-Photopolymer Joints: A Process Efficiency Communication
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
- Initial Printing: Polymer blocks were printed to n − 1 layers using standard exposure parameters (20 s bottom exposure time) and layer thickness was set to the target value (0.01, 0.025, or 0.05 mm)
- Print Interruption: Immediately before the final layer, printing was paused using the printer’s pause function. The overall number of layers was given by the slicer software in dependence of the layer thickness, e.g., if the layers thickness is set to 0.01 mm the slicer software gives total of 159 layers (n), therefore, the printer should be paused at layer 158 (n − 1).
- Build Plate Preparation: The build plate was carefully removed and excess uncured resin was cleaned from the surface using 96% Ethyl Alcohol and lint-free cloth;
- Textile Placement: Textile fabric strips were positioned on the printed polymer surface to create a 12.7 mm overlap length, consistent with EN ISO 4587:2003; Adhesives—Determination of tensile lap-shear strength of rigid-to-rigid bonded assemblies. ISO: Geneva, Switzerland, 2003 [50], single lap joint geometry. Fabric positioning was secured using adhesive tape applied to areas outside the bonding zone (Figure 2);
- Parameter Adjustment: Normal Exposure Time was adjusted in the printer settings to the designated experimental value (40, 80, or 120 s);
- Final Layer Curing: The build plate was returned to the printer and printing resumed to cure the final bonding layer under the specified experimental conditions;
- Post-Processing: Completed specimens were removed from the build plate and excess resin was cleaned using Ethyl Alcohol 96%. No post-curing was applied to maintain pure 3D printing conditions (Figure 3a).
3. Results
Statistics
- Minimum processing time: 40 s vs. 120 s (67% time reduction);
- Lowest resin consumption: Thinner layers require less material per bond;
- Maintained reliability: 100% adherend failure consistency.
4. Discussion
4.1. Comparison with the Literature
4.2. Microstructural Mechanisms Underlying Adherend-Limited Failure
- (a)
- Controlled Resin Infiltration: The pause-and-bond methodology allows uncured liquid photopolymer to penetrate textile interstices immediately before the final layer. Unlike conventional vat photopolymerisation, where textiles become fully saturated, this approach restricts infiltration to the final layer interface, enabling resin to flow into and around individual cotton and polyester fibres (estimated yarn spacing: 150–300 µm). According to the layer thickness values used, this creates a mechanically interlocked boundary zone that is roughly 0.5–2 mm thick.
- (b)
- Mechanical Fibre Anchoring: The 65/35 cotton–polyester blend’s cotton fibres have a distinctive fibrillar surface texture. The uncured photopolymer wets and conforms to this texture. After UV polymerisation, the photopolymer network permanently locks around these surface features, producing micro-mechanical interlocking comparable to adhesive anchoring in fibre-reinforced composites. Polyester fibres, being synthetic and smoother, contribute less to mechanical interlocking [53].
- (c)
- Cohesive Weakness of the Woven Substrate: Woven fabrics derive their tensile strength from the mechanical crimp between orthogonal warp and weft threads, yarn-to-yarn friction, and the tensile strength of individual fibres. Under lap-shear loading, the shear plane intersects both warp and weft directions, requiring simultaneous failure of multiple load-bearing yarn crossings. The measured shear strength (1.38 ± 0.04 MPa) indicates the initiation of yarn slippage or fibre micro-fracture within the textile, which consistently occurs before interfacial debonding. This suggests that the critical stress for internal textile yarn displacement is lower than the interfacial strength (estimated at >1.5–1.6 MPa based on ANOVA statistical power).
4.3. Process Parameter Independence
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| LCD | Liquid Crystal Display |
| UV | Ultraviolet |
| AM | Additive Manufacturing |
| VP | Vat Photopolymerisation |
| FRPC | Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Composites |
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| Layer Thickness, mm | Exposure Time, s | Mean Load, N | Mean Strength, MPa | Standard Dev. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.01 | 40 | 254.2 | 1.33 | 0.038 |
| 0.01 | 80 | 256.8 | 1.35 | 0.041 |
| 0.01 | 120 | 259.1 | 1.36 | 0.043 |
| 0.025 | 40 | 255.4 | 1.34 | 0.039 |
| 0.025 | 80 | 257.9 | 1.35 | 0.042 |
| 0.025 | 120 | 260.3 | 1.37 | 0.044 |
| 0.05 | 40 | 256.6 | 1.34 | 0.040 |
| 0.05 | 80 | 258.6 | 1.36 | 0.043 |
| 0.05 | 120 | 261.8 | 1.37 | 0.045 |
| Sum of Squares | df | Mean Square | F-Value | p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Layer Thickness | 0.0024 | 2 | 0.0012 | 0.038 | 0.834 |
| Exposure Time | 0.0032 | 2 | 0.0016 | 0.041 | 0.789 |
| Thickness × Time | 0.0040 | 4 | 0.0010 | 0.043 | 0.962 |
| Error | 0.2410 | 36 | 0.0067 | - | - |
| Total | 0.2506 | 44 | - | - | - |
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Grgić, I.; Karakašić, M.; Konjatić, P.; Tiwary, V.K. Adherend-Limited Failure in LCD Print-to-Bond Woven Fabric-Photopolymer Joints: A Process Efficiency Communication. Machines 2026, 14, 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14010029
Grgić I, Karakašić M, Konjatić P, Tiwary VK. Adherend-Limited Failure in LCD Print-to-Bond Woven Fabric-Photopolymer Joints: A Process Efficiency Communication. Machines. 2026; 14(1):29. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14010029
Chicago/Turabian StyleGrgić, Ivan, Mirko Karakašić, Pejo Konjatić, and Vivek Kumar Tiwary. 2026. "Adherend-Limited Failure in LCD Print-to-Bond Woven Fabric-Photopolymer Joints: A Process Efficiency Communication" Machines 14, no. 1: 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14010029
APA StyleGrgić, I., Karakašić, M., Konjatić, P., & Tiwary, V. K. (2026). Adherend-Limited Failure in LCD Print-to-Bond Woven Fabric-Photopolymer Joints: A Process Efficiency Communication. Machines, 14(1), 29. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines14010029

