Continuous Composites Inc.

Continue Composite Inc.

Andrew John Overby

Nathan Andrew Stranberg

Brock Adam Jahner

Stephen Tyler Wilson

Andrew Michael Stulc

Trevor David Budge

Jeremiah R Smith

Samuel VanDenBerg

Colin Hugh Hambling

Ryan C Stocket

Ryan C Stockett

Tyler B Alvarado

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a first supply configured to hold a liquid matrix, a second supply configured to hold a continuous reinforcement, and a wetting module configured to separately receive the liquid matrix and the continuous reinforcement from the first and second supplies, respectively, and to discharge a composite material including the continuous reinforcement wetted with the liquid matrix. The wetting module may include a body forming an internal chamber having an upstream open end and a downstream open end, an entrant nozzle disposed within the upstream open end and configured to receive the continuous reinforcement, and an exit nozzle disposed within the downstream closed end and configured to discharge the composite material.

Print head for additive manufacturing system

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a material in a trajectory along a central axis of the outlet, and a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the trajectory and configured to press the material transversely against an adjacent surface. The outlet may be configured to translate relative to the compacting module.

An additive manufacturing system is disclosed for use in fabricating a structure. The additive manufacturing system may include a print head configured to discharge a material, a first structure, and a second structure. The first structure may be configured to move the print head within a plane during discharge of the material. The second structure may be configured to move the print head within the plane during material discharge, the second structure being movable together with the print head by the first structure.

Additive manufacturing system

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, a discharge head connected to and moveable by the support, a supply of reinforcement, and a rotary tensioner located between the supply and the discharge head. The rotary tensioner may be configured to impart tension to the reinforcement and to generate a signal indicative of the tension. The system may further include a drive associated with the supply, and a controller in communication with the rotary tensioner and the drive. The controller may be configured to selectively adjust a feed parameter of the drive based on the signal to maintain a desired level of tension.

System for additive manufacturing

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include an outlet configured to discharge a material in a trajectory along a central axis of the outlet; a compactor disposed downstream of the outlet relative to the trajectory and configured to press the material transversely against an adjacent surface, and a cutting module located between the outlet and the compactor. The compactor and the cutting module may be configured to move together relative to the outlet.

Print heads for additive manufacturing systems

A print head is disclosed for use in additively manufacturing an object. The print head may have a housing, and a wetting module configured to wet a reinforcement with a liquid matrix. The print head may also include a matrix supply configured to hold a quantity of the liquid matrix and supply the liquid matrix to the wetting module.

A system is disclosed for use in additively manufacturing an object. The system may have a support and a first module operatively mounted to an end of the support and configured to discharge a material during motion of the support to form an object. The system may also have a second module configured to sever the material, at least a third module configured to at least one of compact or cure the material, and an actuator configured to cause movement of the second and the at least a third modules relative to the first module.

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a first supply configured to hold a continuous reinforcement, a second supply configured to hold a matrix separate from the continuous reinforcement, and a wetting mechanism in separate communication with the first and second supplies and configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement wetted with the matrix. The system may also include a controller programmed to selectively pressurize the second supply to direct the matrix to the wetting mechanism.

A system is disclosed for use in additively manufacturing an object. The system may have a reinforcement supply, a matrix supply, and a wetting module configured to separately receive reinforcement from the reinforcement supply and matrix from the matrix supply and to discharge the reinforcement wetted with the matrix. The wetting module may include a body forming an enclosure and having an inlet end configured to receive the reinforcement and an outlet end configured to discharge the reinforcement wetted with the matrix. The wetting module may also include a plurality of nozzles dividing the enclosure into at least a wetting chamber.

A method is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The method may include discharging a composite material from a print head and moving the print head during discharging to fabricate a preform from the composite material. The method may also include densifying the preform with a densifying material, and heating the preform to pyrolize the at least one of the composite material and the densifying material.

Additive manufacturing system and method

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a support, and a print head operatively connected to and moveable by the support. The print head may include a supply of continuous reinforcement, an outlet configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement, and a tensioning module disposed between the supply and outlet. The tensioning module may be configured to generate a signal indicative of a tension in the continuous reinforcement. The system may also include a processor programmed to selectively cause the supply to dispense the continuous reinforcement based on the signal.

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Coeur d'Alene, ID, United States of America

Andrew John Overby