Project for development of continuous-fiber composite 3D printer

Funded by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan through the “Supporting Industries program”.
Period: FY2014-FY2016

Composites 2.0

A fiber reinforced plastic obtained by Composites 2.0 technology is a fully structurally and functionally optimized material with the fiber direction and volume fraction precisely controlled at every location.

In-nozzle impregnation

A thermoplastic filament and a continuous fibers were separately supplied and mixed in a heated nozzle just before ejection, and a unidirectional CFRTP was 3D printed.

5D Manufacturing

Shape (3D) + Direction + Density = 5D

Optimization

- New design space by fiber curvature
- Digital control of fabrication process

Frequently Asked Questions


Can I buy the products (3D printer)?

At this stage, this is a research project, and there are no commercially available products. Please inform us if you are interested in working together as we are looking for the potential applications.

What kind of materials can we use?

So far, we confirmed the applicability using carbon tow and jute yarn for reinforcing fibers and PLA for thermoplastic resin filament. We are going to test the materials used for aerospace structures.

"Study group of 3D printing for composite manufacturing" was founded in Japan Society for Composite Materials. Interested in working together? Please contact Masahito Ueda (ueda.masahito<@>nihon-u.ac.jp).