ÂÌñÏ×ÆÞ

Scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL, Tenn., U.S.) have announced that development of a  that reduces internal porosity by up to 75% in large-scale, 3D printed fiber-reinforced polymer parts.

Large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM), enables the direct printing of meter-scale structures used in aerospace, automotive and defense tooling. But widespread adoption has been hindered by internal porosity, or voids, that weaken printed components. Reducing porosity is key to improving strength, durability and overall performance.

Featured Content

Submit abstract to speak at CW Bonding and Welding Tech Days in April READ MORE

Development of a composite liquid hydrogen tank for commercial aircraft READ MORE

Bladder-assisted compression molding derivative produces complex, autoclave-quality automotive parts READ MORE

ORNL researchers tackled this challenge with a novel approach: integrating a vacuum hopper during the extrusion process to remove trapped gases and minimize void formation in fiber-reinforced materials. These materials are widely used in LFAM for their stiffness and low thermal expansion but often suffer from intrabead porosity that limits part quality.

Researchers used a short carbon fiber-filled polymer in this project. They found that the new system reduced porosity to under 2%, even with varying fiber content.

“Using this technique, we are not only addressing the critical issue of porosity in large-scale polymer prints but also paving the way for stronger composites,” says ORNL’s Vipin Kumar. “This is a significant leap forward for the LFAM industry.”

While the current method is designed for batch processing, ORNL has developed a patent-pending concept for continuous deposition systems, which will be the focus of upcoming research.