Additive manufacturing of composite lattice and shell structures for lightweight applications

添加制造(AM)是一种快速发展的技术，它通过将材料存放在需要的地方来构建产品。这与机械加工或铸造等传统制造过程形成了鲜明对比，在传统制造过程中，材料被去除，或者高度依赖昂贵的工具。纤维增强聚合物复合材料(FRPC)材料行业尤其可以从AM为几何复杂形状(包括拓扑优化的轻质结构)开辟设计空间的潜力中获益良多，同时还可以减少浪费。拟议研究活动的目标是(1)开发AM系统和原料材料，使连续纤维增强聚合物复合材料能够符合行业标准并需要添加制造；(2)扩展AM的能力，特别是沿着曲面进行真正的三维纤维放置，并将这些3D刀具路径与现有的有限元分析软件集成；以及(3)开发将AM技术应用于其他类别的先进高性能复合材料的策略。这项研究的成果将有助于降低几何复杂程度高的低系列产品的制造成本。这些先进的材料和制造能力将使航空航天、军事、汽车、石油天然气、医疗器械和体育器材行业的供应商受益。

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly developing technology in which products are built up by depositing material where it is needed. This contrasts conventional manufacturing processes, like machining or casting, where material is removed or there is a high dependency on expensive tooling. The fibre-reinforced polymer composite (FRPC) material industry, in particular, has much to gain from AM's potential to open the design space for geometrically complex forms, including topologically optimized lightweight structures, while also reducing waste. The objectives of the proposed research activities are (1) to develop AM systems and feedstock materials that enable continuous fibre reinforced polymer composites that conform with industry standards and needs to be additively manufactured, (2) to expand the capabilities of AM to true 3-dimensional fibre placement particularly along curved surfaces and integrate these 3D toolpaths with existing finite element analysis software, and (3) to developed strategies for applying AM technologies to other classes of advanced high performance composite materials. The outcomes of this research will help reduce manufacturing costs for low series products with high geometrical complexities. These advanced materials and manufacturing capabilities will benefit suppliers to the aerospace, military, automotive, oil and gas, medical device, and sporting equipment sectors.