Invention Reference Number
ORNL has developed a new hybrid additive manufacturing technique to create complex three-dimensional shapes like air foils and wind generator blades much more quickly. By depositing materials at various stages of curing, technicians can use the mix of flexible and solid structures during the pre-cure state to create complex geometries in a fraction of the time when compared to traditional methods.
Description
Additive manufacturing offers a range of benefits over more traditional approaches, including reduced material and energy costs and increased design flexibility, but still struggles in several use cases. While additive manufacturing methods can generate two-dimensional shapes very quickly, complex structures generally take far longer to complete because of the layer-by-layer manufacturing process. This increased production time renders current additive manufacturing methods financially unsound in important areas like airfoil and vehicle production.
To solve this issue, ORNL researchers have developed a method for depositing material in various stages of the curing process onto a flexible substrate to allow for post-deposit reformation into complex three-dimensional geometries. This method promises dramatically improved production times for many complex structures while maintaining desired material stiffness and eliminating seams. This improved production time, combined with the reduced need for machine complexity afforded by the new method, will enable cost-efficient manufacturing of drones, vehicle parts, and air foils, and other key products.
Benefits
- Greatly improved manufacturing speed
- Reduced need for machine complexity
Applications and Industries
- Vehicle and drone manufacturing
- Airfoil manufacturing
- Wind generator blade manufacturing
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email partnerships@ornl.gov or call 865-574-1051.
