This patent application claims the use of directed energy in the form of electronically scanned ion beams (e.g., proton beams) to form plastic parts by selectively curing commodity or engineering resin in the shape of the part. Polymerization is limited to the vicinity of the controlled Bragg-peak of the ion beam (i.e., where linear energy transfer is maximized), if necessary, by the use of chemical polymerization inhibitors or conditions that inhibit polymerization. This technology is more flexible than conventional or continuous three-dimension printing/production (e.g., CLIP™) because (i) it is not confined to layer-by-layer construction, (ii) it does not require a moving stage upon which the plastic part is formed, (iii) it is independent of orientation of the part (not dependent on gravity), and (iv) it allows the incorporation of fillers and pre-formed elements of almost any material into the final part. The process can be faster than “printing” processes because multiple beams can work from different directions simultaneously and the freedom from the layer-by-layer constraint allows time-saving strategies for building and final curing of the part.

A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A plurality of consolidated overbraided thermoplastic preforms are co-consolidated in a circumferential stackup that is circumferentially constrained. Fibers of the plurality of consolidated overbraided thermoplastic preforms are tensioned during co-consolidation.

A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. An inner tooling, a stackup, and an outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. A bladder and a plurality of stringer bladders in the stackup are pressurized to cause expansion of the bladder and the plurality of stringer bladders, thereby pushing together an overbraided thermoplastic skin and a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members in the stackup. The overbraided thermoplastic skin and the plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members are co-consolidated while the bladder and the plurality of stringer bladders are pressurized to form the composite structure.

A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members and an overbraided thermoplastic skin is built. The stackup is placed between an inner tooling and an outer tooling. The inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. The inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint form a consolidation setup. The consolidation setup is heated to form the composite structure.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be supported by a deployment system that lowers the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets toward, and raises the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets away from, a working surface.

A device to cure/consolidate a textile preform pre-impregnated with polymer. A matrix, without any heating or cooling means, includes a molding face that reproduces the shape of the textile preform and an assembly interface. A sealed bagging of the preform on the matrix. A vacuum pump to apply vacuum inside the sealed bag having the textile preform. A thermal unit includes an induction heater and a receiving interface that cooperates with the matrix assembly interface to position the matrix and to transfer heat between the matrix and the thermal unit.

Assisted magnetic forming uses a magnetic field to assist in the forming or molding of metallic and non-metallic materials. For example, such a forming process may form a blank of ferromagnetic metals like high-strength steel and high-hard armor, non-ferromagnetic metals like aluminum and magnesium, as well as non-metals like ceramics, plastics, and fiber-reinforced composites into formed or molded parts. The magnetic field is generated to partially or completely saturate the blank during the forming process, which increases the blank's formability and/or moldability while in the presence of the magnetic field.

A 3D printer is provided herein. In some embodiments, a 3D printer includes an ink tank for storing ink comprising a magnetic body, an injection nozzle which is linked to the ink tank and is adapted to inject ink, a substrate on which the injected ink is deposited, a heating unit so as to heat the ink coated onto the substrate by means of induction heating, and which is positioned behind the injection nozzle such that injection of ink occurs prior to induction heating of the ink; a carriage unit for changing the positions of the injection nozzle and the heating unit relative to the substrate: and a control unit for controlling the heating unit and the carriage unit.

In the additive manufacturing process, a monitored or controlled mixture of materials is deposited to form an additive manufactured product by delivering the mixture of materials through a material flow path while using an excitation source to introduce electromagnetic energy into the material flow path using a circuit element having inductive or capacitive reactance disposed adjacent the material ejecting orifice. The excitation source produces an electromagnetic field condition within the material flow path that is responsive to at least one of the permeability and permittivity properties of a space within the material flow path. A sensing means coupled electrically or magnetically to the excitation means is responsive to the electromagnetic field condition and provides at least one control parameter based on the electromagnetic field condition that may be used to control the composition of the mixture of materials by adjusting proportions of constituent materials.

A manufacturing method for generatively manufacturing a three-dimensional object by a layer-by-layer application and selective solidification of a building material. The method includes applying a layer of the building material to a build area by a recoater and selectively solidifying the applied layer of the building material at points corresponding to a cross-section of the object to be manufactured by a solidification device. The steps of applying and solidifying are repeated until the three-dimensional object is completed. A heating element locally introduces thermal energy into the newly applied layer of the building material and/or into the layer of the building material which is already selectively solidified. In the course of this, the thermal energy released by the heating element is adjustable depending on the position of this point in the build area.