Systems for polymer powder performance improvements in additive manufacturing using encapsulation

A method for manufacturing a product, comprising:

• mixing, in a mixing station, a solution containing a base material and a performance modifier;
• selecting performance characteristics of the product;
• selecting the base material to deliver, along with the performance modifier, the performance characteristics of the product;
• selecting the performance modifier to enhance the performance characteristics when the performance modifier is in the base material and forms the product, wherein the performance modifier comprises a material that is not compatible with being subjected to an energy source of additive manufacturing;
• identifying encapsulating the performance modifier in the base material as an identified mechanism to protect the performance modifier during the being subjected to the energy source;
• producing, from the solution and in an encapsulation station, particles of the performance modifier in a coating of the base material as an encapsulate powder;
• building, in an additive manufacturing cell that includes the energy source, the product from the encapsulate powder by an application of energy from the energy source;
• shielding, by the performance modifier during the build, from the energy source by the base material;
• and
• effecting incorporation of the performance modifier into the base material after the build and in the product.

A system for manufacturing a product, comprising:

• a mixing station configured to prepare a solution containing a base material and a performance modifier, wherein the base material is configured to deliver performance characteristics of the product that are preselected and the performance modifier is configured to enhance the performance characteristics when the performance modifier is in the base material and forms the product including impact strength and energy absorption, wherein the performance modifier comprises a material that is not compatible with being subjected to an energy source of additive manufacturing, and wherein encapsulating the performance modifier in the base material comprises an identified mechanism to protect the performance modifier during the being subjected to the energy source to avoid overheating of the performance modifier;
• an encapsulation station configured to produce particles of the performance modifier in a coating of the base material as an encapsulate powder;
• and
• an additive manufacturing cell including the energy source and configured to build the product from the encapsulate powder by an application of energy from the energy source,
• wherein the performance modifier is shielded during the build from the energy source by the base material,
• wherein the performance modifier is incorporated into the base material after the build and in the product and the base material and the performance modifier are fused together forming the product with inclusions of the performance modifier incorporated.