Is this project an undergraduate, graduate, or faculty project?
Undergraduate
Project Type
group
Campus
Daytona Beach
Authors' Class Standing
Grace Barnes, Junior David Smith, Freshman John Meyer, Freshman Allayne McKenzie, Junior Taylor Varr, Sophomore
Lead Presenter's Name
Giovanni Taurozzi
Lead Presenter's College
DB College of Engineering
Faculty Mentor Name
Eric Perrell
Abstract
Rapid prototyping is used by various industries to create a part that is used as a basis from which further models and the final product will be derived. 3D printing has become a popular method to create prototypes due to the simplicity of additive manufacturing and can significantly shorten development time and costs. Past research has analyzed the use of rapid prototyping for metal parts; however, few have investigated the use for composite materials. The purpose of this research is to explore the effectiveness of using 3D printing for manufacturing complex geometries with composite materials. This research utilized a FDM 3D printer to manufacture molds for carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. The parts were manufactured using carbon fiber and epoxy resin with wet lay and forging methods. The DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve Control) model was used to identify areas of improvement in the design and manufacturing processes. The 3D printed molds allowed two different prototypes to be created concurrently. Both prototypes went from proof-of-concept to final design within four weeks and the overall manufacturing time was able to be reduced by 50%. By using 3D printing, multiple iterations of parts could be created in a short time. The use of rapid prototypes allowed for iterative designs to be created in a short time for low cost. Due to the complexity of composite materials, more research can be continued to optimize designs and manufacturing techniques.
Did this research project receive funding support (Spark, SURF, Research Abroad, Student Internal Grants, Collaborative, Climbing, or Ignite Grants) from the Office of Undergraduate Research?
No
Application of 3D Printing for Rapid Prototyping in Composite Material Manufacturing
Rapid prototyping is used by various industries to create a part that is used as a basis from which further models and the final product will be derived. 3D printing has become a popular method to create prototypes due to the simplicity of additive manufacturing and can significantly shorten development time and costs. Past research has analyzed the use of rapid prototyping for metal parts; however, few have investigated the use for composite materials. The purpose of this research is to explore the effectiveness of using 3D printing for manufacturing complex geometries with composite materials. This research utilized a FDM 3D printer to manufacture molds for carbon fiber-reinforced polymers. The parts were manufactured using carbon fiber and epoxy resin with wet lay and forging methods. The DMAIC (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve Control) model was used to identify areas of improvement in the design and manufacturing processes. The 3D printed molds allowed two different prototypes to be created concurrently. Both prototypes went from proof-of-concept to final design within four weeks and the overall manufacturing time was able to be reduced by 50%. By using 3D printing, multiple iterations of parts could be created in a short time. The use of rapid prototypes allowed for iterative designs to be created in a short time for low cost. Due to the complexity of composite materials, more research can be continued to optimize designs and manufacturing techniques.