Molds with Advanced Materials for Carbon Fiber Manufacturing with 3D Printing Technology

Abstract

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) 3D printing is the most widespread technology in additive manufacturing worldwide that thanks to its low costs, finished component applications, and the production process of other parts. The need for lighter and higher-performance components has led to an increased usage of polymeric matrix composites in many fields ranging from automotive to aerospace. The molds used to manufacture these components are made with different technologies, depending on the number of pieces to be made. Usually, they are fiberglass molds with a thin layer of gelcoat to lower the surface roughness and obtain a smooth final surface of the component. Alternatively, they are made from metal, thus making a single carbon fiber prototype very expensive due to the mold build. Making the mold using FDM technology can be a smart solution to reduce costs, but due to the layer deposition process, the roughness is quite high. The surface can be improved by reducing the layer height, but it is still not possible to reach the same degree of surface finish of metallic or gelcoat molds without the use of fillers. Thermoplastic polymers, also used in the FDM process, are generally soluble in specific solvents. This aspect can be exploited to perform chemical smoothing of the external surface of a component. The combination of FDM and chemical smoothing can be a solution to produce low-cost molds with a very good surface finish.

A Review of Polymer-Based Materials for Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF): Focus on Sustainability and Recycled Materials

“…Some polymeric composites also include the use of fibers as reinforcement, usually glass or carbon fibers [ 48 , 74 , 75 , 89 ]. The fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) composite, widely used in aerospace and automobile industrial sectors, was born to increase the efficiency and performance of the vehicle, using lighter materials as substitutes for some heavy components [ 48 , 63 , 91 ]. Three different processes of incorporating the fibers into the polymer matrix are usually employed in the FFF technology.…”

“…The molds used in this field are usually fiberglass molds with a thin layer of gelcoat or metal molds. This type of molds presents several disadvantages: they are very expensive, need a long time for their manufacture, and involve the use of release agents during the demolding operations [ 80 , 91 ]. The combination of FFF printing and of chemical sanding was proposed as a solution to produce low-cost molds with an excellent surface finish [ 50 , 80 , 91 ].…”

“…This type of molds presents several disadvantages: they are very expensive, need a long time for their manufacture, and involve the use of release agents during the demolding operations [ 80 , 91 ]. The combination of FFF printing and of chemical sanding was proposed as a solution to produce low-cost molds with an excellent surface finish [ 50 , 80 , 91 ]. For example, Kuo et al (2017) indicate a polishing mechanism for ABS parts, based on acetone vapors, obtaining a 98% reduction in roughness [ 122 ]; Romero et al (2021) suggest the use of limonene to chemical polish of high impact polystyrene (HIPS), obtaining an excellent finish of the pieces and overcoming the problems of demolding of FFF molds [ 80 ].…”

3D Printing Technologies in Biosensors Production: Recent Developments

“…Despite these limitations, FDM is perfectly suitable for rapid prototyping. Therefore, it is used for a wide variety of purposes, from digital healthcare and pharmaceutical applications [62] to automotive and aerospace sectors [63]. Another example of 3D ME technology is inkjet printing-a versatile technique in which electrical actuators are used to eject pico-liter volumes of liquid from micron-sized nozzles onto a substrate in a defined pattern with a layer-by-layer process.…”

Design Issues of Heavy Fuel APUs Derived from Automotive Turbochargers Part III: Combustor Design Improvement

“…This reality unavoidably builds the resistance to outer "specific" software and enhancements such as FE and CFD. Previous findings suggested that FE-related simulations are able to portray feasible results for material and mechanical design analysis [11], even for composite structures [12]. However, the consistent improvement of CAD-implanted interfaces consistently reduced this additional time.…”