We developed an out-of-oven additive manufacturing (AM) technique to rapidly print and cure thermosetting carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRCs) using dielectric barrier discharge (DBD). Conventionally, CFRCs are produced by automated fiber placement machines (AFPs) that use molds and oven treatments to cure CFRCs in the desired shape. AM allows for on-the-fly printing and curing of CFRCs without the use of molds. AM techniques are limited to UV-curable, low viscosity, or rapid-curing resins. Here, we use DBD for in-situ heating and curing of continuous CFRCs using commercial thermosetting resins. As the partially cured composite is deposited, Joule-heating is induced via the DBD applicator, allowing the part to cure in the desired shape. DBD-manufactured composites show properties similar to conventionally manufactured (oven) composites. The method is capable of 2D and 3D multilayered structures, deposited automatically. This technology leverages AM techniques to enable printing of high-performance and lightweight materials in any desired shape.

我们开发了一种烘箱外增材制造(AM) 技术，可利用介质阻挡放电 (DBD) 快速打印和固化热固性碳纤维增强复合材料 (CFRC)。传统上，CFRC 是通过自动纤维铺放机 (AFP) 生产的，该机使用模具和烘箱处理将 CFRC 固化成所需的形状。增材制造允许在不使用模具的情况下即时打印和固化 CFRC。增材制造技术仅限于紫外线固化、低粘度或快速固化树脂。在这里，我们使用 DBD 对使用商用热固性树脂的连续 CFRC 进行原位加热和固化。当部分固化的复合材料沉积时，通过 DBD 涂抹器引发焦耳加热，使部件固化成所需的形状。DBD 制造的复合材料具有与传统制造（烘箱）复合材料相似的特性。该方法能够自动沉积 2D 和 3D 多层结构。该技术利用增材制造技术，可以打印任何所需形状的高性能轻质材料。