Morphing Composite Structures via Flattened 3D Printing and Folding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional additive manufacturing processes are slow and costly for producing large-scale composite structures, such as wind generator blades or airplane wings, due to the need for numerous small layers and the use of molds, which are time-consuming and expensive to create.
Innovation Solution
A method involving flattening a three-dimensional part geometry into a computer-modeled shape, depositing layers of material using a printhead, and manipulating the additive build through bending or folding along predetermined lines to form the desired final shape, with optional use of substrates and scaffold materials to stabilize the structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional additive manufacturing processes are used to generate large composite structures, then the parts can be formed layer by layer, but the build time becomes excessively long (days) and production efficiency is low
Solution Approach 1:
The final 3D part geometry is segmented into a flattened 2D pattern that can be manufactured as a single layer or fewer layers, then folded into the final shape. This segmentation of the manufacturing process (flattening the geometry into a developable surface) allows the part to be built much faster while still achieving the complex 3D structure through folding along predetermined lines.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from building up the part in the third dimension (Z-axis layer by layer) to creating a flattened 2D representation that is then folded into the 3D shape. By changing the manufacturing dimension from 3D layer-by-layer deposition to 2D pattern creation followed by folding, the build time is dramatically reduced while maintaining the final 3D geometry.
2Ease of manufacture
If large molds are used for molding processes to form large composite structures, then the parts can be formed efficiently, but the mold design, creation, and utilization become time-consuming and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the complex mold creation step entirely from the manufacturing process. Instead of requiring a physical mold to be designed and fabricated, the part geometry is represented as a flattened 2D digital pattern that is directly deposited by additive manufacturing. This eliminates the need for mold design, mold fabrication, and mold maintenance, significantly reducing device complexity and upfront costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a digital 2D pattern copy of the final 3D part geometry as the manufacturing template instead of a physical mold. The flattened computer-modeled shape serves as a digital replica that guides the additive manufacturing process, eliminating the need for physical mold creation while preserving the ability to reproduce the exact part geometry through digital replication.
3Manufacturing precision
If numerous small layers are deposited to form large composite structures via conventional additive manufacturing, then the final geometry can be achieved, but the number of layers required significantly limits production speed
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the final 3D geometry into a flattened 2D pattern that requires far fewer layers to deposit. By representing the complex 3D shape as a developable surface in 2D, the number of deposition layers is dramatically reduced from potentially hundreds or thousands of thin layers to a much smaller number of thicker layers, thereby increasing deposition speed while maintaining geometric fidelity through the folding process.
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
Significantly reduces build time by up to two-thirds compared to conventional methods, allowing for faster and more cost-effective production of complex composite parts.
Implementation Method 1
operating a printhead to deposit a first layer of a part-forming material on a substrate. The first layer is one of a plurality of iteratively deposited layers of an additive build
Implementation Method 2
The method further includes the step of creating a part by manipulating one or more portions of the additive build at one or more predetermined locations to form the additive build into a final shape
Implementation Method 3
In specific embodiments, the step of manipulating the additive build includes one or both of bending and folding the additive build at the one or more predetermined locations
Implementation Method 4
In certain embodiments, the method further includes the step of bonding or adhering adjacent portions of the additive build along the bent fold lines
Implementation Method 5
In particular embodiments, the method further includes the step of curing the additive build after manipulating the additive build
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming an additively manufactured part includes: converting a desired final three-dimensional part geometry into a flattened, computer-modeled shape; operating a printhead to deposit a first layer of a part-forming material on a substrate, the first layer being one of a plurality of iteratively deposited layers of an additive build according to the flattened, computer-modeled shape, such that the additive build is comprised of successive layers of the deposited part material on the substrate; and creating a part by manipulating one or more portions of the additive build at one or more predetermined locations to form the additive build into a final shape having the desired final three-dimensional part geometry. The part-forming material and the substrate each may include a thermoset or thermoplastic, and may include a curable resin. The substrate may be in the form of an impregnated or unimpregnated sheet, film, fabric, laminated fabric, or weave.