SBIR Phase I: 5-Axis Continuous Carbon Fiber 3D Printing

SBIR第一阶段项目旨在开发一种自动化和具有成本效益的方法，通过3D打印工艺生产复杂的碳纤维部件，该工艺能够实现传统碳纤维部件的全部性能，同时允许在加工铝之前是唯一选择的应用中更多地使用碳纤维。该项目首先测试基本机械性能并调整加工参数，然后利用机器的5轴功能在多个方向上放置碳纤维，从而允许在各个方向上需要强度的复杂部件。这种碳纤维增强高温热塑性部件的新型制造方法将大大扩展可以从碳纤维材料的增加使用中受益的市场，包括航空航天，高性能汽车和定制生物医学部件。通过降低高性能部件开发的障碍，该技术还将允许小型公司制造高性能产品，并在小型企业中创造各种技术和非技术工作岗位。该项目旨在证明使用3D打印工艺生产高性能碳纤维部件的可行性。设计了一台5轴机床和喷嘴，用于连续碳纤维增强高温热塑性塑料，能够生产能够承受复杂多轴载荷的复杂零件。该项目的主要重点是生成具有与传统连续碳纤维制造工艺相当的性能的层压材料，这将表明在航空航天应用中使用该工艺制造高性能部件的可行性，这是复合材料3D打印尚未实现的。在展示了形成高性能层压板的能力之后，该项目将开始专注于生成具有Z轴打印增强层的代表性部件。在打印多轴部件之前，该项目将专注于实现新型层状复合材料结构，包括可变刚度层压板和集成蜂窝芯。复合材料层压板级的高机械性能、通过精确的纤维取向实现的可定制性能以及在任何方向上有效地将载荷传递给纤维的能力的结合，将标志着碳纤维增强聚合物技术和市场的新前沿。

This SBIR Phase I project intends to develop an automated and cost-effective method of producing complex carbon fiber parts with a 3D printing process that manages to achieve the full performance of traditional carbon fiber parts while allowing greater use of carbon fiber in applications where machined aluminum was previously the only option. This project involves first testing basic mechanical properties and adjusting processing parameters, and then looking towards using the 5-axis capabilities of the machine to place carbon fibers in multiple directions, allowing for complex parts that need strength in all directions. This novel manufacturing method for carbon fiber reinforced high temperature thermoplastic parts will greatly expand the markets that can benefit from increased use of carbon fiber materials, including aerospace, high-performance automotive, and custom biomedical parts. By lowering barriers to high performance part development, this technology will also allow smaller companies to fabricate high performance products and create a variety of technical and non-technical jobs within small businesses.This project seeks to prove the feasibility of producing high performance carbon fiber parts with a 3D printing process. A 5-axis machine and nozzle has been designed for use with continuous carbon fiber reinforced high temperature thermoplastics that will be able to produce complex parts that are able to take complex, multi-axial loads. The primary focus of this project is to generate laminates with comparable properties to traditional continuous carbon fiber manufacturing processes, which would indicate the viability of using this process for high performance parts in aerospace applications, which no composite 3D printing has yet to achieve. After demonstrating the capability of forming high performance laminates, this project will begin focusing on the generating representative parts with reinforcing layers printing in the z-axis. Prior to printing multi-axial parts, this project will focus on achieving novel layered composite structures including variable stiffness laminates and integrated honeycomb cores. The combination of high mechanical properties at a laminate level, tailorability of properties through precise fiber orientation, and the ability to effectively transfer loads to fibers in any direction, will signify a new frontier in the technology and markets for carbon fiber reinforced polymers.