Additive Manufacturing Fiber Reinforcement Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current additive manufacturing methods lack the capability to effectively integrate fiber reinforcement, which can enhance the physical characteristics of manufactured objects such as strength and weight, particularly in complex components where traditional methods are less suitable.
Innovation Solution
An additive manufacturing system and method that incorporates a fiber weaver to dispose fiber material, such as hollow tubes, alongside a powder recoater for cobalt-chrome alloy powder, with a laser generating system to fuse the powder layers and integrate fiber reinforcement layers, thereby creating a fiber-reinforced composite object with enhanced properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If traditional additive manufacturing methods are used, then manufacturing capability is maintained, but fiber reinforcement integration is lacking resulting in reduced strength and increased weight
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the powder recoater and fiber weaver into a single integrated additive manufacturing system. The fiber weaver is positioned adjacent to the powder recoater, allowing both powder material and fiber reinforcement to be deposited simultaneously in alternating layers during the same manufacturing process, thereby integrating fiber reinforcement without requiring separate manufacturing steps
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite materials by combining cobalt-chrome alloy powder with fiber reinforcement materials (such as hollow tubes). The alternating layers of powder-fused material and fiber reinforcement form a composite structure that leverages the strength and lightweight properties of both material types, resulting in objects with enhanced mechanical properties
2Weight of moving object
If fiber reinforcement is integrated, then strength is improved and weight is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fiber weaver is integrated into the existing additive manufacturing system architecture, positioned adjacent to the powder recoater and coordinated by the same controller. This merging approach allows fiber reinforcement to be incorporated without requiring entirely separate manufacturing equipment, thereby reducing the increase in device complexity while achieving weight reduction through hollow tube fiber materials
3Adaptability or versatility
If fiber reinforcement is integrated, then object functionality is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated system maintains the universal capability to manufacture both traditional powder-fused objects and fiber-reinforced composite objects using the same equipment. The controller can be programmed to alternate between depositing powder material and fiber reinforcement material, allowing the system to produce objects with enhanced functionality (such as internal passageways from hollow tubes) without requiring specialized manufacturing equipment
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The integration of fiber reinforcement layers within the additive manufacturing process results in objects with improved strength and reduced weight, along with additional functionalities like internal gas and fluid flow passageways, facilitating the production of complex components with increased performance.
Implementation Method 1
One exemplary additive manufacturing process uses an energy beam, for example, an electron beam or electromagnetic radiation such as a laser beam, to sinter or melt a powder material
Implementation Method 2
Laser sintering can refer to producing three-dimensional (3D) objects by using a laser beam to sinter or melt a fine powder. Specifically, sintering can entail fusing (agglomerating) particles of a powder at a temperature below the melting point of the powder material
Implementation Method 3
melting can entail fully melting particles of a powder to form a solid homogeneous mass
Implementation Method 4
laser melting techniques can include using continuous wave (CW) lasers
Data Source
Figure 1
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AI summary
Additive manufacturing methods for fabricating a fiber-reinforced composite objects include providing at least a first layer of powder material 210, disposing a fiber material adjacent the at least first layer of powder material to form a fiber reinforcement layer 220, and applying a laser energy 230 to the at least first layer of powder material so as to fuse the powder material into at least a first laser fused material layer adjacent the fiber reinforcement layer of the fiber-reinforced composite object.