ADDITIVE PREFORM MOLDING OF CONTINUOUS CARBON FIBER/THERMOSET COMPOSITES

Continuous composites offer substantial benefits to the composite industry providing exceptional part strength and durability, but manufacturing complex smaller parts remains a challenge due to limited design flexibility, material waste, and difficulty in achieving fiber orientation. This study presents an innovative approach, Additive Preform Molding (APM) to reconfigure additively manufactured 2D preforms into 3D structures. The process utilizes resin-impregnated preforms, incorporating a dual-cure system consisting of a UV-cured shell and an uncured epoxy matrix core. The semi-cured core-shell structure provides the rigidity necessary for geometry retention while enabling reconfigurability during molding. The findings demonstrate the fabrication of continuous fiber-oriented complex brackets suitable for automotive and aerospace applications. This approach aids the fabrication of continuous composite parts, delivering key benefits such as enhanced load-bearing capacity from precise fiber alignment, and near-net-shape accurate part production, with significant potential in advanced composite manufacturing such as automotive and aerospace.