An apparatus and method to magnetically align fibers in a base additive material during an additive manufacturing process for material property enhancing purposes or to facilitate joining of multiple types of materials during the additive process to form an integrated part. The magnetically alignable fibers are positioned through the application of a controlled, multi-axis positioning magnetic field during the additive-material layer deposition phase. This allows the fibers to be embedded within the base additive-material in any three-dimensional desired orientation, and the orientation to be varied from layer to layer, to permit directional enhancement of material properties, dependent on the nature of the fiber materials themselves. Likewise, joining of multiple types of materials may be improved through the controlled deposition of such fibers embedded within the base material itself during the additive-process between layers of two or more dissimilar materials, to provide a directionally aligned mechanical attachment between layers of base additive materials to result in a strengthened consolidated part at the conclusion of the additive manufacturing process.

An apparatus and method to magnetically align fibers in a base additive material during an additive manufacturing process for material property enhancing purposes or to facilitate joining of multiple types of materials during the additive process to form an integrated part. The magnetically alignable fibers are positioned through the application of a controlled, multi-axis positioning magnetic field during the additive-material layer deposition phase. This allows the fibers to be embedded within the base additive-material in any three-dimensional desired orientation, and the orientation to be varied from layer to layer, to permit directional enhancement of material properties, dependent on the nature of the fiber materials themselves. Likewise, joining of multiple types of materials may be improved through the controlled deposition of such fibers embedded within the base material itself during the additive-process between layers of two or more dissimilar materials, to provide a directionally aligned mechanical attachment between layers of base additive materials to result in a strengthened consolidated part at the conclusion of the additive manufacturing process.

Provided herein is a method for aligning discontinuous fibres comprising: providing a stream of discontinuous fibres in a dispersion medium; applying a shear stress to the dispersion medium to align at least a portion of the discontinuous fibres; and disposing the at least a portion of the aligned discontinuous fibres on a substrate thereby providing a layer of substantially aligned discontinuous fibres. Also provided are discontinuous fibres aligned by such method and a composite material formed from the aligned discontinuous fibres.

Aluminum-boron nitride nanotube composites and methods of making thereof are disclosed herein. In at least one specific embodiment, the method can include: at least partially coating boron nitride nanotubes with aluminum to make an aluminum-boron nitride nanotube layered structure, where the at least partially coating is performed by sputter deposition, and where the boron nitride nanotubes have a length of about 100 μm to about 300 μm; sintering the aluminum-boron nitride nanotube layered structure to make an aluminum-boron nitride nanotube pellet, where the sintering is performed by spark plasma sintering; and rolling the aluminum-boron nitride nanotube pellet to make the aluminum-boron nitride nanotube composite.

A method, product, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the application of the Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method to produce objects in metal, and in metal fiber hybrids or composites. The approach has many advantages, including the ability to produce more complex geometries than conventional methods such as milling and casting, improved material properties, higher production rates and the elimination of complex fixturing, complex tool paths and tool changes and, for casting, the need for patterns and tools. The approach works by slicing a 3D model, selectively printing a fluid onto a sheet of substrate material for each layer based on the model, flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal to which the fluid adheres in printed areas, clamping and aligning a stack of coated sheets, heating the stacked sheets to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate, and removing excess powder and unfused substrate.

A method, product, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the application of the Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method to produce objects in metal, and in metal fiber hybrids or composites. The approach has many advantages, including the ability to produce more complex geometries than conventional methods such as milling and casting, improved material properties, higher production rates and the elimination of complex fixturing, complex tool paths and tool changes and, for casting, the need for patterns and tools. The approach works by slicing a 3D model, selectively printing a fluid onto a sheet of substrate material for each layer based on the model, flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal to which the fluid adheres in printed areas, clamping and aligning a stack of coated sheets, heating the stacked sheets to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate, and removing excess powder and unfused substrate.

The application describes methods of making composite bodies including fibre-reinforced composite material with carbon fibre reinforcement and also a metal-containing portion (4). The metal-containing portion (4) is formed by laying up metal reinforcement elements, such as tapes of titanium alloy, among the carbon fibre reinforcement tapes which make up the composite body. The proportion of metal reinforcement may increase progressively towards the surface and/or towards an edge (14) of the composite body. In an example, metal leading and trailing edges (14,15) of a fan blade (1) are integrally formed in this way.

The application describes methods of making composite bodies including fibre-reinforced composite material with carbon fibre reinforcement and also a metal-containing portion (4). The metal-containing portion (4) is formed by laying up metal reinforcement elements, such as tapes of titanium alloy, among the carbon fibre reinforcement tapes which make up the composite body. The proportion of metal reinforcement may increase progressively towards the surface and/or towards an edge (14) of the composite body. In an example, metal leading and trailing edges (14,15) of a fan blade (1) are integrally formed in this way.

A method, product, apparatus, and article of manufacture for the application of the Composite Based Additive Manufacturing (CBAM) method to produce objects in metal, and in metal fiber hybrids or composites. The approach has many advantages, including the ability to produce more complex geometries than conventional methods such as milling and casting, improved material properties, higher production rates and the elimination of complex fixturing, complex tool paths and tool changes and, for casting, the need for patterns and tools. The approach works by slicing a 3D model, selectively printing a fluid onto a sheet of substrate material for each layer based on the model, flooding onto the substrate a powdered metal to which the fluid adheres in printed areas, clamping and aligning a stack of coated sheets, heating the stacked sheets to melt the powdered metal and fuse the layers of substrate, and removing excess powder and unfused substrate.

A print head is disclosed for use in an additive manufacturing system. The print head may include a receiving end configured to receive a matrix and a continuous reinforcement, and a discharging end configured to discharge the continuous reinforcement at least partially coated in the matrix. The print head may also include a compactor located at the discharging end and forming a tool center point for the print head.