Folded Substrate 3D Printing for Rapid Composite Fabrication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current three-dimensional printing methods are limited by a restricted materials palette and slow build speeds, which restrict the complexity and speed of fabricating 3D objects.
Innovation Solution
The Composite-Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method uses layered composite materials, where thermoplastic or thermoset powders are selectively deposited and melted onto carbon fiber substrate layers, with excess substrate removed through abrasion or chemical means, allowing for rapid and large-scale production of complex objects with desirable material properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If traditional three-dimensional printing methods are used, then material selection is limited and build speed is slow, but the process is simpler to implement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs composite materials consisting of substrate layers (such as paper, fabric, or thin plastic sheets) combined with powder materials (metal, ceramic, or polymer powders). This composite approach enables a wide variety of material properties to be achieved by selecting different substrate and powder combinations, thereby expanding the materials palette while maintaining a relatively simple fabrication process.
2Productivity
If traditional three-dimensional printing methods are used, then build speed is slow, but the equipment required is less complex
Solution Approach 1:
The fabrication process is segmented into distinct stages: depositing powder on substrate layers, selectively removing unbound powder, and repeating the process for multiple layers. This segmentation allows for rapid layer-by-layer construction while using simple, inexpensive equipment such as gravity-based powder removal and basic deposition mechanisms, achieving high build speeds without complex apparatus.
3Productivity
If layered composite materials are used with selective powder deposition, then production speed increases and material variety expands, but the fabrication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate layers are prepared in advance with specific properties (porosity, surface area, material composition) that facilitate rapid powder deposition and binding. This preliminary preparation of substrates with optimized characteristics enables faster subsequent processing steps and reduces the complexity of real-time process control, thereby increasing fabrication speed while managing process complexity.
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
CBAM enables the rapid fabrication of 3D objects with high strength and low weight, using a wide variety of materials, and produces composite materials with superior properties to traditional homogenous materials, while reducing production costs and time compared to existing methods.
Implementation Method 1
The powder is then melted. The molten material infiltrates or coats at least some regions of the layers, cools and hardens.
Implementation Method 2
The molten material infiltrates or coats at least some regions of the layers, cools and hardens.
Implementation Method 3
Heat is applied (or heat and pressure are applied) to the powder and substrate, causing the powder, not the substrate, to melt.
Implementation Method 4
The molten material infiltrates or coats at least some regions of the layers
Data Source
AI summary
A three-dimensional object comprises substantially planar or flat substrate layers that are folded and stacked in a predetermined order and infiltrated by a hardened material. The object is fabricated by positioning powder on all or part of multiple substrate layers. On each layer, the powder is selectively deposited in a pattern that corresponds to tiles that each have a slice of the object. For each slice, powder is deposited in positions that correspond to positions in the slice where the object exists, and not deposited where the object does not exist. The tiles of each substrate layer are folded and aligned in a predetermined order. Multiple folded substrate layers mat be combined into a single stack. The powder is transformed into a substance that flows and subsequently hardens into the hardened material in a spatial pattern that infiltrates positive regions, and does not infiltrate negative regions, in the substrate layers.