The Boeing Company

Theboeing Company

Michael Patrick Kozar

Mark Stewart Wilenski

Samuel F Harrison

Nick Shadbeh Evans

Faraón Torres

Samuel J Meure

Amy E Bahe

Daniel C Stanley

John Ralph Hull

John A Mittleider

Keith John Davis

Faraon Torres

Michael Strasik

James Johnathan Childress

Arthur August Rugtvedt

An apparatus for shaping an extrudable material comprises a sleeve, comprising a first sleeve end, a sleeve inlet at the first sleeve end, a second sleeve end, opposite the first sleeve end, and a sleeve outlet at the second sleeve end. The extrudable material enters the sleeve through the sleeve inlet and exits the sleeve through the sleeve outlet. The apparatus further comprises an actuation mechanism, selectively operable to change at least one of a size or a shape of the sleeve outlet. The sleeve is sufficiently flexible to enable the actuation mechanism to change at least one of the size or the shape of the sleeve outlet. The sleeve is insufficiently stretchable to enable the actuation mechanism to stretch the sleeve.

Methods for shaping an extrudable material

Systems for thermal control of additive manufacturing comprise a build volume within which a part is additively manufactured; a heat source positioned relative to the build volume and configured to actively deliver heat to discrete sections of the part as it is being additively manufactured; and a controller operatively coupled to the heat source and configured to direct delivery of heat from the heat source to discrete sections of the part as it is being additively manufactured to impart desired physical properties to the part. Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise additively building a part from a feedstock material; and actively heating discrete sections of the part as the part is being additively built to impart desired physical properties to the part.

Systems and methods for thermal control of additive manufacturing

Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise dispensing a multi-part filament in three dimensions. The multi-part filament comprises an elongate filament body comprising a first body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a first material that is configured to be cured responsive to a first cure condition, and a second body part extending longitudinally along the elongate filament body and comprising a second material that is configured to be cured responsive to a second cure condition that is different from the first cure condition. Methods also comprise concurrently with the dispensing, delivering curing energy corresponding to the first cure condition to impart a desired rigidity characteristic to the first body part to facilitate printing of self-supporting structures from the multi-part filament.

Multi-part filaments for additive manufacturing and related systems and methods

A non-fibrous film has a non-weakened portion and a weakened portion having at least one mechanical property having a value that is lower than the value of the mechanical property of the non-weakened portion. The film has an optical characteristic including a clarity of at least 75 percent.

Films having selectively weakened portions

A non-fibrous film has at least one film body that is non-fibrous, and at least one film element that is non-fibrous. The film element is coupled to the film body at an interface that is non-continuous across a film width of the non-fibrous film. The non-fibrous film has at least one of the following characteristics: the interface has at least one mechanical property having a value that is different than the value of the mechanical property of at least one of the film element and the film body, and/or the film element has at least one mechanical property having a value that is different than the value of the mechanical property of the film body.

Multi-component films

Systems and methods for additively manufacturing composite parts are disclosed. Methods comprise combining a plurality of pre-consolidated tows to define a macro tow and dispensing the macro tow in three dimensions to define the composite part. Each pre-consolidated tow comprises a fiber tow within a non-liquid binding matrix. The combining comprises actively altering a shape and/or size of a cross-sectional profile of the macro tow along a length of the macro tow as it is being defined.

Systems and methods for additively manufacturing composite parts

Various techniques are provided for an expandable energy absorbing fluid bladder. In one example, the fluid bladder includes a primary portion and a secondary portion. The secondary portion can be configured to expand or increase in volume when the fluid bladder is subjected to a pulse greater than a threshold pulse. Expansion of the secondary portion can allow fluid or additional fluid to flow into the secondary portion and thus decrease a peak pulse and, thus, avoid rupture of the fluid bladder.

Expandable energy absorbing fluid bladder systems and methods

A composite structure includes a resin, a plurality of polymer nanoparticles in the resin to form a resin mixture, and a plurality of reinforcing fibers embedded within the resin mixture. At least some of the polymer nanoparticles are either fully soluble in the resin during curing or solidifying of the resin mixture to form a cured composite structure, or semi-soluble in the resin during curing or solidifying of the resin mixture to form the cured composite structure.

Composite structure having nanoparticles for performance enhancement

A kinetic energy absorption method includes receiving a force from kinetic energy at a composite article and distributing a load associated with the force across a designated pattern of lower strength length portions or lower modulus length portions of fibers within the composite article, where the load is distributed by: plastically deforming a ply and a matrix material; separating multiple substantially parallel fibers at the lower strength length portions or plastically stretching the multiple substantially parallel fibers at the lower modulus length portions; and creating gaps in the ply where the multiple substantially parallel fibers are separated or creating shear boundaries in the ply where the multiple substantially parallel fibers are plastically stretched.

Kinetic energy absorption method

A reinforced composite article includes a first ply, a second ply, and a third ply. A first interface material is between the first ply and the second ply. A second interface material is between the second ply and the third ply. A designated pattern of material property variation, geometric structure variation, spatial variation, or combinations thereof is distributed to selected locations identified in the first interface material or distributed between selected locations identified in the first interface material compared to the second interface material. The pattern is sufficient to measurably vary adhesion, toughness, strength, modulus, or combinations thereof. The article allows distribution of a load across the pattern when the first, second, and third plies receive a force from kinetic energy above a separation threshold by partially delaminating the first ply from the second ply, the second ply from the third ply, or both.

Kinetic energy absorption method and kinetic energy absorptive, reinforced, composite article

A kinetic energy absorptive composite article includes a first ply and a plurality of inherently straight first fibers contained in the first ply. First length portions of the first fibers are arranged with first localized ripples that deviate from and return to individual first routes of respective first length portions. The article includes a second ply parallel to the first ply, a plurality of inherently straight second fibers contained in the first ply or the second ply, and a matrix material at least partially encapsulating the first and second plies. Second length portions of the second fibers are arranged without localized ripples or with second localized ripples that deviate from individual second routes of respective second length portions to a lesser extent than the first localized ripples and return to the individual second routes. The second routes are substantially parallel to the first routes.

Kinetic energy absorption methods

Systems for cure control of additive manufacturing comprise a build volume, a curing energy source, and a controller. The curing energy source is configured to actively deliver curing energy to discrete sections of a part as it is being additively manufactured. The controller is programmed to direct delivery of curing energy to impart desired cure properties to the discrete sections and/or according to predetermined cure profiles for the discrete sections. Methods of additively manufacturing a part comprise additively building a part from a feedstock material, and actively curing discrete sections of the part as it is being additively built to impart desired cure properties to the part and/or desired cure profiles to the part.

Systems and methods for cure control of additive manufacturing

A composition may include the resin and a plurality of polymer nanoparticles included in the resin to form a resin mixture. The resin may have a resin coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), a resin cure shrinkage, and/or a resin heat of reaction. The polymer nanoparticles may have a nanoparticle cure shrinkage less than the resin cure shrinkage, a nanoparticle CTE different than the resin CTE, and/or a nanoparticle heat of reaction less than the resin heat of reaction.

Nanoparticles for improving the dimensional stability of resins

Apparatuses for shaping an extrudable material

Additive manufacturing fiber composites comprise a bundle of elongate fibers and a matrix material that holds or encompasses the elongate fibers of the additive manufacturing fiber tow. The matrix material includes an energy-emissive dopant that emits a curing energy in response to receiving an activating energy. The curing energy effects curing of the solidifiable matrix material so that it solidifies to a rigid or semi-rigid matrix material. Methods of additively manufacturing an article include dispensing an additive manufacturing fiber tow, a solidifiable matrix material, and an energy-emissive dopant to form a solidifiable composite, and applying the activating energy to the energy-emissive dopant to activate the energy-emissive dopant to emit the curing energy. Systems to additively manufacturing an article may be configured to employ such additive manufacturing fiber composites and/or methods.

Growing community of inventors

Mercer Island, WA, United States of America

Michael Patrick Kozar