Additive Manufacturing of Composite Parts via Macro Tow Dispensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manufacturing of composite parts using laminar construction results in increased weight due to non-optimized fiber orientation and limitations in implementing advanced structural designs, as not all reinforcement fibers are aligned with the direction of applied forces.
Innovation Solution
The system involves a feedstock source of pre-consolidated tows with fibers in a non-liquid binding matrix, combined using a tow combiner to form macro tows, which are then dispensed in three dimensions to create composite parts, allowing for optimized fiber orientation and complex structural designs without the need for a substrate or mold.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If laminar construction is used for manufacturing composite parts, then the manufacturing process is simple and conventional, but the weight of the finished part increases due to non-optimized fiber orientation
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is segmented into distinct stages: depositing fiber tows in specific orientations, impregnating with matrix material, and curing. This allows optimization of fiber placement in each layer while maintaining processability, resolving the contradiction between manufacturing simplicity and weight reduction through optimized fiber orientation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from conventional 2D laminar stacking to 3D fiber architecture by depositing tows at multiple angles (0°, 45°, 90°, -45°) and creating through-thickness reinforcement. This dimensional expansion enables optimized fiber orientation in three dimensions, reducing part weight while maintaining structural integrity.
2Ease of manufacture
If laminar construction is used for manufacturing composite parts, then conventional techniques can be applied, but advanced structural designs cannot be implemented
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing system incorporates dynamic control of tow deposition angles and paths, allowing fiber orientations to be dynamically adjusted according to stress distribution requirements. This enables implementation of advanced structural designs with optimized fiber trajectories that follow principal stress lines, while maintaining compatibility with conventional composite manufacturing principles.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes key parameters including fiber orientation angles, layer thicknesses, and matrix impregnation conditions to enable advanced structural designs. By controlling these parameters during the deposition and curing process, complex 3D fiber architectures can be created that are not achievable with conventional laminar techniques.
3Productivity
If multiple plies of composite material are layered sequentially, then the composite part can be manufactured, but not all reinforcement fibers are oriented along the direction of applied forces
Solution Approach 1:
The reinforcement structure is segmented into multiple functional layers with distinct fiber orientation patterns. Each layer is deposited with specific angle(s) optimized for particular stress components, ensuring that reinforcement fibers are aligned with applied forces throughout the part volume while maintaining continuous manufacturing throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention adds a third dimension to fiber orientation by incorporating through-thickness tows and angled layers that extend in the Z-direction. This 3D fiber architecture ensures reinforcement along force trajectories that pass through multiple layers, improving strength without sacrificing manufacturing productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for additively manufacturing composite parts are disclosed. Methods comprise combining a plurality of pre-consolidated tows to define a macro tow and dispensing the macro tow in three dimensions to define the composite part. Each pre-consolidated tow comprises a fiber tow within a non-liquid binding matrix. The combining comprises actively altering a shape and/or size of a cross-sectional profile of the macro tow along a length of the macro tow as it is being defined.