Composites
Of all the families of materials used for additive manufacturing, fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites present unique characteristics, benefits and challenges. Additive manufacturing promises to evolve the adoption of composite materials, making it more efficient, cost-effective and fast to mass produce parts that can offer an unparalleled combination of properties.
The reason why that is not the case is that traditional composite manufacturing – based on woven fiber sheets in a thermoset (epoxy) resin matrix is among the most manual labor intensive – and costly – among manufacturing processes. Composites today are used to make high end automotive, sports equipment, medical and aircraft parts: products that are highly customized and not mass-produced. The ultimate goal of the firms working on additive manufacturing of composites is to make the production of composite parts scalable, without sacrificing materials properties.
Achieving this goal requires some of the most complex manufacturing engineering know-how, along with some of the most complex manufacturing hardware and software that has ever been developed. The transition towards automated, mass-produced composite parts will be a gradual one. Additive manufacturing is the core element of it but it is not the only one: new technologies are emerging that more or less seamlessly combine AM processes within an automated end-to-end workflow in order to ensure the highest level of performance. This is inextricably connected to the use of continuous fibers.
However, composites AM is not just about top part performance but also about improving the performance of polymer 3D printed parts, to make parts stronger, lighter and larger. This is where additive manufacturing of chopped fiber composites found its – rapidly growing – niche. 3D printing with chopped fibers of differing lengths is much less complicated than 3D printing with continuous fibers and it emerged first.
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Dahltram T-100GF resin is Airtech’s first recycled grade polymer for LFAM
This week at Formnext 2023, Airtech Advanced Materials Group has launched its first recycled grade thermoplastic polymer resin for pellet-based large-scale additive manufacturing, Dahltram T-100GF resin. The 3D printing material…
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Markforged unveils FX10 3D printer and carbon fiber-filled PEKK material
Markforged has taken Formnext 2023 as an opportunity to announce its newest industrial 3D printer, the FX10. The new machine, built for the manufacturing floor, is based on a modular…
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Anisoprint relocates its HQ to Suzhou, China
After the opening of its first China office in Shanghai earlier this year, Anisoprint, a leading provider of composite 3D printing solutions, completed a successful fundraiser and relocated its global…
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Evonik, LEHVOSS launch LUVOSINT PA613 9711 CF specifically for SLS
Working in cooperation with Evonik, LEHVOSS has developed and is now introducing LUVOSINT PA613 9711 CF, a PA613 polymer with compounded carbon fiber reinforcement. The base polymer PA613 was designed…
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Raise3D shows off latest composite 3D printing innovations
Raise3D has long recognized the potential and future applications of composite fiber-reinforced thermoplastics. In 2021, the company, one of the leaders in the global material extrusion hardware segment, introduced two…
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9T Labs to exhibit latest innovations at CAMX 2023
9T Labs AG, a leader in the digital, automated production of continuous fiber components, is set to present at CAMX 2023 from October 30th to November 2nd, in Atlanta, where…
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Airtech brings production-ready composite tools to aerospace
Since it was founded in 1973, Airtech Advanced Materials Group has been closely tied to the aerospace industry. The company, which today serves many sectors, began with the mission to…
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F1 supplier Dash-CAE launches TR01 low-cost carbon monocoque for road cars
UK-based F1 supplier and AM specialist Dash-CAE developed the TR01 chassis to fulfill an unaddressed market need for an affordable high-performance ‘off-the-shelf’ carbon fiber monocoque chassis. As a large, single-carbon…
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CRP Technology launches Windform XT 2.0 IMG from used SLS powders
CRP Technology launched the Windform XT 2.0 IMG material, initiating a new industrial production and sustainability era. Winform XT 2.0 IMG is a high-performance composite material with a thermoplastic matrix,…
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MIT researchers develop Inconel 718-ceramic nanowires powder for AM
A team of MIT-led engineers found a simple, inexpensive way to strengthen Inconel 718 with ceramic nanowires to be used in metal PBF AM processes. The team believes that their…