Design Strategies for Repair of 3D Printed Biocomposite Materials

This paper presents design and fabrication methods for repair of 3D printed biopolymer composites to extend their lifespan. The methods are applied to panels exposed to weathering conditions. The workflow connects initial design parameters with diagnosis and mesh processing operations to identify deteriorated regions and generate a repair pattern for 3D printing. The pattern is informed by the initial and weathered states of the panel to create a continuous design language. This approach anticipates the repair during design stage since criteria for deteriorated region identification can be embedded during the initial panel design. We demonstrate the methods through two repair strategies using conformal 3D printing.