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US 12,179,415 B2Granted
Additive manufacturing composites with flow induced fiber alignment
AssigneeNDSU Research Foundation
InventorsPatrick Simpson, Michael Holthaus, Chad Ulven
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Abstract
Suspending fibers within a substantially similar direction within flow field allows for an even dispersion of fibers in a manufactured composite. The flow field can be established within a resin tank so as to control orientation of the fibers. An advantage of this approach is that fiber orientation can be changed layer by layer during printing. No matter where the reinforcements need to be, the fibers can be aligned on the fly to accommodate. 3D prints can made stronger for a very wide range of objects and opportunities.
Claims13
A method for manufacturing composites comprising:
- suspending fibers within a resin tank holding UV resin;
- creating a laminar, constant flow field of a mixture comprising the suspended fibers and the UV resin from an inlet of the resin tank to an outlet of the resin tank, wherein the laminar, constant flow field includes a constant streamlined velocity caused by increasing the flow rate at the outlet as compared to the inlet;
- aligning the suspended fibers in a direction parallel to a direction of flow within the laminar, constant flow field;
- striking the mixture with a computer-controlled UV laser so as to 3D print a composite;
- and
- wherein the fibers are of a type selected from the group consisting of glass, carbon, aramid, basalt, copper, boron, aluminum, chromium, microspheres, platelets, bast, flax, hemp, other natural fibers, and combinations thereof.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.