Composite 3D printing technology

Canadian experts composite Nathan Armstrong, the original Motive Industries founder and President, has been leading a cooperative development of 3 d printing project, the technology available continuous reinforced fiber materials production composite components. Can only use the current manufacturing system of continuous fiber reinforced composite material parts, thus limiting the 3 d printing technology in high performance market, such as aerospace, auto racing, robot and medical applications.

According to Armstrong, he is the development of technology USES a proprietary technology, this technology USES 6 axis 3 d printer can print in any Angle, and use the most suitable for this kind of machine thermoplastic enhanced carbon fiber filament, making the continuous fiber structure. The system can also be multiple parts connection into a more complex parts. In addition, the additional print head can simultaneously splicing and fibers.

Though still under development, Armstrong argues that this kind of 3D printing technology will change the composite parts with complex structure mode of manufacturing. Users simply put their 3 d design input Armstrong software developed by Feedback Loop, and then optimized for fiber manufacturing iterative calculation of the software to transfer instruction to the 3 d printer. "It jumps over the traditional engineering design process, has a highly optimized parts, material waste to zero." He said, "I believe this is the future way of structural composite parts production." Armstrong was estimated at three to five years or so, this is a combination of design, the manufacture of 3 d printing system will enter the market. He is now seeking software and financial support for this project.