Airbus Operations Gmbh

Airbus Group Limited

Benjamin Farmer

Jonathan Meyer

Daniel Johns

William Kessler

Andrew Hawkins

John Maurice Price

Marcel Buckley

A method of manufacturing an object is disclosed. Material is extruded from an extrusion head onto a tool, the extrusion head having an extrusion axis along which the material flows as it exits the extrusion head. Relative movement is generated between the extrusion head and the tool as the material is extruded so that the material is deposited as a series of layers, wherein the material cures on or after deposition so that the layers are fused together. The extrusion and the relative movement are controlled so that the series of layers are shaped in accordance with a stored three-dimensional model of the object. At least some of the layers are non-planar layers.

Extrusion-based additive manufacturing system and method

A method of manufacturing an object. A thermoplastic matrix material is melted to transform it into liquid matrix material. The liquid matrix material is fed into a chamber via one or more matrix inlets. A fiber is also fed into the chamber via a fiber inlet. The fiber in the chamber is contacted by the liquid matrix material. A coated fiber is extruded from an extrusion outlet of the chamber onto a substrate, the coated fiber comprising the fiber with a coating of the liquid matrix material, the substrate comprising a previously extruded coated fiber. The fiber moves in and out of the chamber at the same velocity relative to the chamber. The coating fuses with the previously extruded coated fiber and solidifies after it has fused with the previously extruded coated fiber. Relative movement is generated between the extrusion outlet and the substrate as the coated fiber is extruded from the extrusion outlet.

Extrusion-based additive manufacturing

In a method of manufacturing an object, a filament is fed to an extrusion head. The filament has a semi-crystalline polymeric reinforcement portion and a polymeric matrix portion. The temperature of the filament is raised in the extrusion head above the melting point of the matrix portion but below the melting point of the reinforcement portion so that the matrix portion of the filament melts within the extrusion head, thereby forming a partially molten filament within the extrusion head. The reinforcement portion of the partially molten filament remains in a semi-crystalline state as it is extruded from the extrusion head. Relative movement is generated between the extrusion head and the substrate as the partially molten filament is extruded onto the substrate in order to form an extruded line on the substrate. The matrix portion of the extruded line solidifies after the extruded line has been formed on the substrate.

Method of manufacturing an object

A method of modifying a thermoplastic polymer powder. A suspension of thermoplastic polymer powder and reinforcement elements in a liquid is heated within a reaction chamber so that the thermoplastic polymer powder becomes softened and the reinforcement elements migrate into the softened thermoplastic polymer powder to form modified thermoplastic polymer powder. The modified thermoplastic polymer powder is then separated from the liquid. The reinforcement elements have an electromagnetic moment and are subjected to an electromagnetic field as the suspension is heated. The interaction of the electromagnetic field with the electromagnetic moment of the reinforcement elements causes the reinforcement elements to become aligned with the electromagnetic field before they migrate into the powder.

Thermoplastic polymer powder

A method of manufacturing a composite material, the method comprising: growing two or more layers of reinforcement in-situ; and impregnating each layer with a matrix before growing the next layer. The reinforcement layers may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition process. The method can be used as an additive layer manufacturing technique to form a component with a desired shape and physical characteristics.

Method of manufacturing composite material

A method of fabricating a composite component comprising the steps of: loading a preform into a component forming environment, filling the environment with a solvent carrying a catalyst material in solution or suspension, draining this liquid from the mould thereby leaving a residue of the catalyst material on the perform and/or the interior surface of the forming environment, heating the forming environment and subsequently or concurrently introducing a carbonaceous gas under such conditions as to grow a carbon nanotube structure on the preform and/or the forming environment surfaces, removing the carbonaceous gas, and introducing a liquid resin material into the forming environment whereby the resin disperses through the preform and carbon nanotube structure thereby forming the finished composite component once the resin is cured or set.

Method for manufacturing composite components

A method of manufacturing a composite material, the method comprising: providing a first layer () of CNTs reinforcement elements () with liquid matrix material in interstitial gaps between the reinforcement elements; dipping a second layer of reinforcement elements into the liquid matrix material in the interstitial gaps such that the reinforcement elements in the second layer become partially embedded in the first layer of reinforcement elements and partially protrude from the first layer of reinforcement elements, impregnating the protruding parts of the reinforcement elements in the second layer with liquid matrix material; and curing the liquid matrix material.

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Bristol, United Kingdom

Benjamin Farmer