3D printing on pre-stressed textiles: peel test evaluation of adhesion factors in 4D textiles

The paper describes how “4D textiles” are made by 3D printing onto pre-stressed textiles. During printing, the textile tension is stored in the printed system, and the resulting components are intended to change state when exposed to external stimuli. A key challenge is making sure the printed elements stay firmly bonded to the textile so they do not delaminate. To address this, the study systematically tests how adhesion depends on factors such as textile type, printing parameters, printed material, and the amount of pre-tension. Using a 2^n factorial experimental design and 180° peel tests, the authors analyze which parameters and interactions most affect adhesion. They report that nozzle distance and nozzle temperature are critical, that higher pre-tension reduces adhesion (while lower pre-tension supports shape transformation), and that textile structure and material choice can strongly influence mechanical interlocking and adhesion performance.