While there have been a few more investigations in composite materials directions for additive manufacturing, this project appears to be breaking new ground.
…Kenny Tyler of CC3D in Hayden, Idaho is working to introduce a novel method of additive manufacturing he calls Continuous Composite Three Dimensional Printing which uses two or more materials to create parts of stunning strength.
Tyler and his team have been researching new extrusion methods intended to create lightweight and strong parts using “continuously composite paths.” It’s aimed at cutting resin use up to 70 percent while providing high-strength parts by precisely placing continuously composite paths using additive processes.
Working with Barbara and Martin Mueller, the expert machinists and lens-makers famous for inventing and developing the Imax Camera, has proven invaluable to Tyler in completing the precision machine work on the CC3D extruder head and optics. Along with the work at a makerspace in Coeur d’Alene called Gizmo, Tyler is collaborating with Mueller and Chris Beaty’s company called ExtraTech, a robotics company specializing in motor-control hardware.
The core of the idea is how the device can utilize a growing set of novel materials which mark a departure from current methods of employing such materials.
The primary component in the process is a liquid curable material and the secondary component a solid, continuous strand of fiber. The secondary material is fed through a nozzle with the primary material and is entirely surrounded by the primary material during the extrusion phase. Once the composite material is extruded, it’s cured to become what Tyler calls a “solid composite path.”
“Utilizing the strength of the continuous fiber to our advantage during the print yields more flexibility and scalability. By combining print heads together it will be possible to print objects such as an I-beam or Hollow Tube into free space or at zero gravity with ease,” Tyler says. “These hollow structures may be filled with foam or left hollow for utility. Much of what is created in nature is fibrous and hollow, yet provides great strength. The building you live in is most likely composed of hollow framed walls with materials attached to wood which is, in its nature around 70 percent dry, fibrous material. It makes sense to 3D print with the grain of nature, and the continuous fiber method is essentially a biomimetic approach to additive manufacturing.”
Read the full article at 3DPrinterWorld.com here.
Every Thursday is #3dthursday here at Adafruit! The DIY 3D printing community has passion and dedication for making solid objects from digital models. Recently, we have noticed electronics projects integrated with 3D printed enclosures, brackets, and sculptures, so each Thursday we celebrate and highlight these bold pioneers!
Have you considered building a 3D project around an Arduino or other microcontroller? How about printing a bracket to mount your Raspberry Pi to the back of your HD monitor? And don’t forget the countless LED projects that are possible when you are modeling your projects in 3D!
The Adafruit Learning System has dozens of great tools to get you well on your way to creating incredible works of engineering, interactive art, and design with your 3D printer! We also offer the LulzBot TAZ – Open source 3D Printer and the Printrbot Simple Metal 3D Printer in our store. If you’ve made a cool project that combines 3D printing and electronics, be sure to let us know, and we’ll feature it here!
