Low-Cost 3D Composites Printing Is Demonstrated

A team of engineers at the University of Bristol in the UK has developed a method of additive manufacturing that can print composite materials like those found in products such as tennis rackets and golf clubs.

The technique uses ultrasonic waves to position millions of reinforcement fibers. The fibers are formed into a microscopic framework, which is then set in place using a laser beam that cures the epoxy resin and prints the object.

Composite materials such as those found in tennis rackets can now be inexpensively 3D printed. Image credit: Pixabay.

During testing, a print speed of 20mm/s was achieved, which the researchers say is similar to conventional additive layer techniques.

“We have demonstrated that our ultrasonic system can be added cheaply to an off-the-shelf 3D printer, which then turns it into a composite printer,” says Tom Llewellyn-Jones, a Ph.D student who developed the system.

The researchers also demonstrated the ability to assemble a plane of fibers into a reinforcement framework. The framework’s orientation can be controlled by switching the ultrasonic standing wave pattern mid-print. To achieve this, the research team mounted a switchable, focused laser module on the carriage of a standard three-axis 3D printing stage, above the ultrasonic alignment apparatus.

This approach allows realization of complex fibrous architectures within a 3D-printed object. The nature of the ultrasonic manipulation technique also enables a range of particle materials, shapes and sizes to be assembled.

"Our work has shown the first example of 3D printing with real-time control over the distribution of an internal microstructure, and it demonstrates the potential to produce rapid prototypes with complex microstructural arrangements," says Bruce Drinkwater, professor of ultrasonics. "This orientation control gives us the ability to produce printed parts with tailored material properties, all without compromising the printing.”