Award

Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D) manufacturing is a cutting-edge composite manufacturing technology that has the potential to enable higher-performing (e.g., specific stiffness, specific strength) and lower-cost (e.g., less material waste, minimized part count, reduced touch labor) structures for future Navy applications. CF3D works by combining dry fiber tows with liquid snap-curing thermoset resin inside of a print head on the end of a six-axis robotic arm. As the green composite is discharged and consolidated, it is snap-cured into place enabling the manufacturing of complex composite structures (e.g., fiber steering, stacking, tight contours) with high fiber volume fractions (>50%) and low void volume fractions (<2%). Advanced manufacturing techniques such as CF3D will benefit the Navy greatly as it continues innovative high rate, low life cycle airframes. The proposed innovation is to enable topology optimized, fiber-steered, stiffened structures to be made using the emerging CF3D® manufacturing process that is suitable for Navy UAV use. This proposal endeavors to advance and characterize the CF3D® materials and process through testing  and preliminary model validation. Testing will be conducted at the coupon and representative structure sub-scale. The equipment manufactured and processes developed by Continuous Composite will enable many innovators and manufacturers to develop hardware for the Navy and customers with unique composite needs. Phase I Base will include coupon, intersection, and stiffened panel testing along with the development and delivery of a topology optimized stiffened panel. Phase I Option with include further development, testing, FEA and test planning for Phase II.