Systems and methods for additively manufacturing high strength and stiffness fiber-reinforced inorganic glass composite structures
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
InventorsJames LEWICKI, Maxwell Glen TSURUMOTO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a feedstock for performing additive manufacturing through a heated extrusion print nozzle heated to a working printing temperature. The feedstock may have a glass matrix meltable at the working printing temperature and a reinforcing fiber component. The fiber reinforcing component is disposed within the glass matrix, and selected to be at least one of thermally stable or thermally oxidatively stable at the working printing temperature being used to melt the glass matrix.
Claims21
A feedstock for performing additive manufacturing through a heated extrusion print nozzle heated to a working printing temperature, the feedstock comprising:
- a glass matrix meltable at the working printing temperature;
- and
- a reinforcing fiber component disposed within the glass matrix, selected to be at least one of thermally stable or thermally oxidatively stable at the working printing temperature being used to melt the glass matrix.
A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a computer/electronic controller;
- a memory in communication with the computer/electronic controller for storing code in accordance with a 3D part design file needed to build a part in a layer-by-layer fashion;
- a reservoir;
- a feedstock including:
- a containing a quantity of a flowable glass matrix in one of a powdered form, a slurry or a paste, contained in the reservoir;
- and
- a reinforcing fiber component at least one of mixed in with, or entrained in, the quantity of flowable glass matrix;
- a print nozzle;
- a heater configured to heat the print nozzle and the feedstock, such that the feedstock is heated to a working temperature sufficient to melt the glass matrix and form a melted feedstock, and wherein the reinforcing fiber component is thermally stable at the working temperature;
- the print nozzle configured to receive the mixture of flowable glass matrix with the reinforcing fiber component and to extrude a bead of melted feedstock onto at least one of a substrate or build plate in accordance with the code;
- and
- a motion control subsystem configured to move at least one of the print nozzle, the substrate or the build plate as needed to lay a plurality of the beads of melted feedstock down to form each layer of the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.
A system for additive manufacturing, comprising:
- a computer/electronic controller;
- a memory in communication with the computer/electronic controller for storing code in accordance with a 3D part design file needed to build a part in a layer-by-layer fashion;
- a feedstock including a consolidated filament of glass and a fiber reinforcing component;
- a support component for supporting the feedstock in a manner such that the feedstock can be withdrawn from the support component;
- a print nozzle;
- a heater for heating the print nozzle and the feedstock, such that the feedstock is heated to a working temperature sufficient to melt the consolidated filament of glass as the feedstock passes through the print nozzle, and wherein the fiber reinforcing component is stable at the working temperature;
- the print nozzle configured to receive the mixture of flowable glass matrix with the reinforcing fibers mixed therein and to extrude a bead of melted feedstock onto at least one of a substrate or build plate in accordance with the code;
- and
- a motion control subsystem for moving at least one of the print nozzle, the substrate or the build plate as needed to form each layer of the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.
A method for additively manufacturing a part, comprising:
- providing a 3D part design file needed to build a part in a layer-by-layer fashion;
- feeding a feedstock to a heated print nozzle, wherein the feedstock includes a glass matrix or a consolidated glass, in addition to a reinforcing fiber component, the feedstock further being in a form of at least one of a flowable mixture or a filament, the reinforcing component including at least one of:
- a continuous reinforcing fiber tow;
- a continuous reinforcing fiber tape;
- a continuous reinforcing fiber braid;
- a plurality of chopped fibers;
- or
- a plurality of milled fibers;
- using a heated print nozzle heated to a predetermined temperature to melt the feedstock as the feedstock is fed into the print nozzle, and to extrude a melted bead of the feedstock onto a build plate;
- and
- moving one of the print nozzle or the build plate relative to the other as needed to lay a plurality of the beads of melted feedstock down to form each layer of the part in a layer-by-layer fashion.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.