"Fused Deposition Modeling and Additive Fusion Technology for Continuous Fiber-Reinforced Composite 3D Printing."
Abstract
The objective of this proposal is the acquisition of a 9T Labs Red Series 3D printer that utilizes a unique hybrid manufacturing concept by using a build module and a fusion module to 3D printcontinuous fiber composite with aerospace-grade quality. The capabilityto build a module in transforming fiber-reinforced tapes into printable filaments allows printing parts with fiber volume fractionsup to 60%, which is not attainable by any other commercial system. In the second step, the 9T Labs fusion module reduces porosities(<1.5%) and increases the interlaminar strength by applying high heat and pressure to the part. Realizing composite components withincreased fiber volume fraction and low porosities is crucial to the success of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) grant of the PI to investigate the strength and stiffness of optimized 3D printed continuous fiber reinforced aerospace parts. The experimentally validated results of this ONR project demonstrated that the optimized fiber path designs are 100% stiffer than traditional unidirectional fibers. These optimized designs are currently being manufactured on a 3D printer built in-house. The improvement in stiffness via fiber paths optimization is obliterated due to the lower fiber volume fraction, and higher voids fraction of composite additive manufacturing (AM) compared to traditional composite manufacturing techniques such as autoclave processing. The 9T Labs system is the only commercially available AM that overcomes both challenges. The higher stiffness of printed parts will also enable the manufacturing of designs for wind tunnel models that reduces the production cost and the time from design to testing of a Co-PI#s Army Research Office/ONR project focusing on interactions between a ship air wake and rotor systems.The 9T Labs open-architecture system provides the unique ability to 3D print composites using novel reinforcement such as carbon fibers with surface grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) toenhance mechanisms necessary for increasing the adhesion/shear strength between the fibers and the matrix. The resulting hybridcomposites with high strength, stiffness, damping, and fracturetoughness are potentially attractive materials for next-generation NAVY ship hulls and aircraft frames. The system will facilitate new research in the manufacturing and quality control ofcomposites. Anew approach for continuous monitoring of the surface strains during AM processing of continuous fiber composites using digital image correlation will be developed. This will enable in situ defect detection and continuous monitoring of residual stresses and develop mitigation methods for 3D printed composite structures. The proposed system will also promote research on the design and fabrication of complex shapes biomimetic wing tips to reduce the induced drag, which will result in an innovative passive control paradigm.The 9T Labs system will be housed in the MicaPlex Research Center at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) will complement existing facilities for material processing and preparation, metrology, mechanical testing, materials characterization, and aerodynamic and Aeroelastic testing. Three undergraduate materials, composites, and capstone courses in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering will be upgraded by incorporating lab modules using the proposed instrumentation. Based on ERAU records, 300 students will benefit annually from this 3D printer acquisition. Nearly 21% of ERAU students are female, and 10% are under-represented minorities. Eight graduate students are currently involved in ongoing DoD grants and collaborative projects of the PIs. The acquisition of the 3D printing system will assist these students in their current thesis projects and allow more graduate students at ERAU to carry out cutting-edge research in AM. K-12 students from Volusia County, FL, will be exposed to AM through summer camps.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Mar 03, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312291
Entities
People
- Ali A Tamijani
Organizations
- Embry–Riddle Aeronautical University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy