Methods for producing panels using 3D-printed tooling shells
AssigneeDivergent Technologies, Inc.
InventorsJon Paul Gunner, Narender Shankar Lakshman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Techniques for producing panels such as for use in a vehicle, boat, aircraft or other transport structure or mechanical structure using a 3-D-printed tooling shell are disclosed. A 3-D printer may be used to produce a tooling shell containing Invar and/or some other material for use in molding the panels. A channel may be formed in a 3-D printed tooling shell for enabling resin infusion, vacuum generation or heat transfer. Alternatively, or in addition to, one or more hollow sections may be formed within the 3-D printed tooling shell for reducing a weight of the shell. The panel may be molded using the 3-D printed tooling shell.
Claims9
A method of producing a composite panel for a transport or other mechanical structure using a three-dimensional (3-D) printed tooling shell comprising Invar, the method comprising:
- applying a composite material on a surface of the 3-D printed tooling shell, the 3-D printed tooling shell having an integrated channel and at least one hollow section, wherein the composite material is applied by infusing a resin through the integrated channel onto the surface of the 3-D printed tooling shell;
- and
- forming a composite panel from the composite material using the 3-D printed tooling shell as a section of a mold to shape the composite material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.