Advanced Additive Manufacturing Infrastructure: Towards Sustainable and Adaptive Manufacturing of More Complex and Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Composites

从传统制造模式向更可持续和适应性更强的制造模式的转变，促使人们越来越多地关注用于轻量化和多功能结构的添加剂制造(AM)和纤维增强聚合物复合材料(FRPC)。这两个领域的结合面临着部件质量和设计完整性方面的挑战，尽管它们在各种行业和结构中的应用潜力和规模是公认的。目前，多功能轻质结构高级研究实验室(ARL-MLS)研究团队使用常规3D打印机来研究均匀、短纤维注入和纳米颗粒注入的长丝系统。为了解决现有AM-FRPC解决方案的局限性并实施下一代功能部件，关键是要扩展ARL-MLS设施的现有能力，以支持和支持更复杂的FRPC和连续FRPC的复杂熔化、多材料和多物理性质。拟议的3D打印基础设施将为ARL-MLS集团提供关键能力，以使用连续纤维和其他复杂复合材料在生产级打印高级功能和不同的部件。拟议的3D打印系统将提供必要的基础设施，以开发表征复杂和连续的FRPC的新方法，研究用于结构和活性材料部件健康监测的自我传感机制，以及整合现场过程监测技术。拟议的设备将扩大ARL-MLS的现有设施，具备必要的能力和基础设施，以支持和支持当前和未来的研究活动，涉及先进智能结构的表征、建模和测试，以及开发用于设计、质量控制和健康监测的智能工具。这些研究活动的发展和进展将被用来提高3D/4D打印工艺的可靠性、通用性和性能，这将通过改善可持续性和制造实践，在环境和经济上受益并促进整个加拿大和许多行业的增长。

The paradigm shift from conventional to more sustainable and adaptive manufacturing practices has led to an actively growing focus on additive manufacturing (AM) and fiber-reinforced polymer composites (FRPC) for lightweight and multifunctional structures. The conjunction of these two areas face challenges with part quality and design integrity, despite the recognized potential and scale of their applications to various industries and structures. Currently, the Advanced Research Laboratory for Multifunctional Lightweight Structures (ARL-MLS) research team uses conventional 3D printers to study homogeneous, short-fiber-infused, and nanoparticle-infused filament systems. To address the limitations of existing AM-FRPC solutions and actualize the next generation of functional parts, it is critical to expand the current capabilities of the ARL-MLS facilities to enable and support the intricate melting, multi-material, and multi-physics nature of more complex FRPCs and continuous FRPCs. The proposed 3D printing infrastructure will provide the ARL-MLS group the critical capabilities to print high-level functional and diverse parts at the production grade with continuous fibers and other complex composite materials. The proposed 3D printing system will provide the necessary infrastructure to develop novel methods for characterization of complex and continuous FRPCs, investigating the self-sensing mechanisms for health monitoring of structural and active material parts, and the integration of in-situ process monitoring technologies. The proposed equipment will expand the current facilities at the ARL-MLS with the essential capabilities and infrastructure to support and enable the current and future research activities involving the characterization, modelling, and testing of advanced smart structures, and the development of intelligent tools for design, quality control, and health monitoring. The development and progress of these research activities will be leveraged towards enhancing the reliability, versality, and performance of the 3D/4D printing process, which will benefit and promote growth across Canada and many industries environmentally and economically through improved sustainability and manufacturing practices.