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US 10,703,052 B2Granted
Additive manufacturing of discontinuous fiber composites using magnetic fields
AssigneeNortheastern University
InventorsRandall Erb, Joshua J. Martin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for producing a composite part are provided to enable composite parts to be assembled with precise control over the orientation and spatial distribution of reinforcing or other particles within a matrix material. The method and apparatus use magnetic fields applied during various additive manufacturing processes to achieve complex particles orientations within each layer of the part. The composite parts can achieve enhanced properties, including mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties.
Claims26
A method of producing a composite part, comprising:
- (a) introducing a precursor material in a first layer adjacent a build plate, the precursor material comprising a matrix material and magnetically responsive particles, the magnetically responsive particles comprising at least in part a magnetic material;
- (b) orienting the magnetically responsive particles in a first alignment with a first magnetic field;
- (c) consolidating a first portion of the matrix material in the first layer with the magnetically responsive particles within the first portion held in the first alignment in accordance with a particle alignment pattern for the first layer, by concurrently consolidating a first subset of discrete voxels;
- (d) orienting a further portion of the magnetically responsive particles in a further alignment different from the first alignment with a further magnetic field;
- and
- (e) consolidating a further portion of the matrix material in the first layer with the magnetically responsive particles within the further portion held in the further alignment in accordance with the particle alignment pattern for the first layer, by concurrently consolidating a further subset of discrete voxels.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.