ADDITIVE FIBER TETHERING OF CONTINUOUS CARBON FIBER/THERMOSET COMPOSITES

Carbon fiber composites are increasingly utilized in manufacturing lightweight and high-strength structural parts, but traditional methods such as filament winding often face significant limitations, including restricted design freedom and material waste. Here, we propose a novel manufacturing strategy named Additive Fiber Tethering (AFT), which involves the in-situ formation of continuous carbon fiber thermoset tow-pregs via a 3D printer and tethering the tow-pregs around strategically arranged anchors without the use of a traditional core or mandrel. This method facilitates the creation of non-cylindrical and spatially complex composite structures through precise fiber placement and reduces material waste, while preserving the mechanical integrity of the final product. This method is particularly advantageous for producing high-strength, lightweight load-bearing components such as B-pillars and chassis reinforcements. The precise fiber orientation and optimized load distribution that AFT enables are crucial for ensuring peak performance under dynamic conditions, making it an ideal solution for advanced composites with complex geometries.