Mould-free Processing and Additive Manufacturing of Fibre-reinforced Thermoplastic Composites for High Performance Applications

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Digital fabrication techniques, such as additive manufacturing (AM) processes, are expected to revolutionize the manufacturing industry by integrating computer aided design and automated manufacturing processes into a seamless procedure, thereby allowing data to be “converted” into physical objects. While there has been much excitement surrounding AM processes like fused filament fabrication, selective laser sintering, and continuous liquid interface production, there remain many processing challenges before AM techniques are capable of producing components of end-use qualities. These challenges concern limited material selection, high void contents, poor inter-layer adhesion, and restricted orientations of anisotropic materials – these problems are especially apparent when AM processes are used for fibre-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC).*** This NSERC Discovery Grant proposal outlines a research program to develop mould-free and AM manufacturing processes for FRPC that will lead to high quality components for end-use. Specifically, two complementary aims are proposed which will enable the mould-free processing of continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composites materials. The first approach builds upon continuous lattice fabrication, a recently developed fused filament fabrication-based technology for commingled yarns and expands its manufacturing capacity to bonded multi-filament structures. The second is a novel concept centered on the consolidation and forming of sheets and textiles between opposing compaction rollers. Methodologies for developing these two processing strategies are presented.*** This work is novel in that it fuses novel digital fabrication processes with an extensive understanding of FRPC materials such that the remarkable properties of these high performance materials are exploited fully when used in real three-dimensional structures.*** The results of this proposed research program are expected to significantly reduce the cost of fabricating geometrically complex FRPC parts and thus have a positive impact on low-volume sectors which are driven by high performance. Examples of such targeted markets include aerospace, aviation, high-end automotive, energy, medical implants, and prosthetics. The FRPC processes developed in this framework, combined with ongoing developments in digital manufacturing, will eventually enable individual customization of products, reduce the need for expensive manufacturing infrastructure, facilitate the decentralization of production, and, consequently, reduce waste and energy consumption.