Composite materials including sandwich panels can offer a number of advantages such as excellent strength to mass ratio or stiffness to mass ratio. Sandwich panels can find their application in many industrial sectors where the mass and mechanical properties are critical. Despite these and many other advantages, the use of sandwich panels is associated with many problems, which stem from their structural composition (weak core with high shear stiffness connecting two skins with high in plane stiffness). This composition can cause problems in joining the sandwich panels to each other and to other parts by means of mechanical joints. To solve these problems, there exist many accessories such as inserts. The main objective of this paper is to present the development, manufacturing, and testing of plastic inserts for sandwich panels made by Fused Deposition Modelling 3D printing technology.

The mechanical properties of a short fibre composite produced using the forged moulding compound technology were tested. Firstly, these properties were estimated using analytical calculations and the Tsai-Pagani equation. Next, technological tests were conducted, based on which testing samples were made for mechanical tests. The results of the mechanical tests were then compared to calculations. Finaly, a microsatellite part was produced using this technology and integrated into the satellite structure.

This article demonstrates that 3D-printed parts can replace metal parts in optomechanics in the correct circumstances. Three examples are shown: a clamping fork for pedestal holders where stability is important, an adjustable mirror holder where the rigidity is the main criterion, and a stray light shield where the transmissivity is critical. By combining carbon-fiber-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) with 3D printing, it is possible to produce components that fill the gap between standard 3D-printed plastics and metal parts in terms of strength and stability. These parts are designed to be lighter, more compact, and easier to modify, while keeping good mechanical properties such as resistance to vibration, shape accuracy, and controlled thermal expansion. The article focuses on the application of composite 3D printing on optomechanical components. It compares different methods of composite 3D printing, including fused filament fabrication (FFF) with either chopped fibers or with continuous fiber reinforcement. Three examples from the HiLASE Centre demonstrate how these parts are used in practice, confirming that it is indeed possible to 3D print components that are lighter and cheaper yet still highly functional compared to their off-the-shelf counterparts—for example, lightweight and stiff mounts, shielding against stray laser light, or flexible elements allowing fine mechanical adjustments. Simulations of the deformations are included to compare the printed and metal versions. The article ends with a summary of the benefits and limitations of using 3D-printed composites in optomechanics.