Aligned fiber reinforced molding

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

1 . A fiber-reinforced composite part, comprising one or more sections, wherein at least one section of the one or more sections comprises two or more fiber bundles, wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently comprises from 5 to 80,000 continuous fibers impregnated with a composition. 
     
     
         2 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each composition independently comprises a matrix material, wherein the matrix material comprises a thermoplastic, a thermoset, or a ceramic. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section comprises:
 a first fiber bundle comprising continuous fiber having a first configuration; and   a second fiber bundle comprising continuous fiber having a second configuration;   wherein the first configuration is different than the second configuration.   
     
     
         4 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section comprises:
 a first fiber bundle comprising a first composition; and   a second fiber bundle comprising a second composition,   wherein the first composition is different than the second composition.   
     
     
         5 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a first section comprising a first fiber bundle, wherein the first fiber bundle has a first configuration; and   a second section comprising a second fiber bundle, wherein the second fiber bundle has a second configuration;   wherein the first configuration is different than the second configuration.   
     
     
         6 - 7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the at least one section further comprises one or more non-fiber portions; and   each of the one or more non-fiber portions comprises a composition without a fiber bundle and without non-aligned fiber.   
     
     
         9 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein,
 the at least one section comprises one or more non-aligned fiber portions; and   each of the one or more non-aligned fiber portions comprises a composition comprising a plurality of non-aligned fibers.   
     
     
         10 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section further comprises a plurality of non-aligned fibers. 
     
     
         11 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section further comprises:
 one or more non-aligned fiber portions comprising non-aligned fiber within a composition;   one or more non-fiber portions comprising a composition without a fiber bundle and without non-aligned fiber; or   both one or more non-aligned fiber portions and one or more non-fiber portions.   
     
     
         12 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A fiber-reinforced composite part comprising one or more sections, wherein the part is fabricated by:
 placing two or more filaments into a section of a mold cavity to provide a layup, wherein each of the two or more filaments independently comprises a fiber bundle comprising from 5 to 80,000 continuous fibers impregnated with a composition; and   compression molding the layup to provide the fiber-reinforced composite part.   
     
     
         19 - 31 . (canceled) 
     
     
         32 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one section comprises from 5 vol % to 70 vol % continuous fiber, wherein vol % is based on the total volume of the at least one section. 
     
     
         33 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein, in a cross-section of the at least one section of the part orthogonal to a length of the two or more fiber bundles, the continuous fiber is distributed as bundles of fiber. 
     
     
         45 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently has a cross-sectional dimension in which the width dimension is similar to the height dimension 
     
     
         46 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently has a diameter from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. 
     
     
         47 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently has a cross-sectional dimension less than 1 cm. 
     
     
         48 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are distributed homogeneously throughout the at least one section. 
     
     
         49 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are distributed uniformly throughout the at least one section. 
     
     
         50 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are distributed non-uniformly throughout the at least one section. 
     
     
         51 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are distributed uniformly throughout the fiber bundle. 
     
     
         52 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the continuous fibers are distributed non-uniformly throughout the fiber bundle. 
     
     
         53 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently comprises from 1,000 to 80,000 fibers. 
     
     
         54 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently has a diameter from 0.25 mm to 10 cm. 
     
     
         55 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more fiber bundles independently has a diameter from 0.5 mm to 3 mm. 
     
     
         56 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber bundle has a round, oval, square, rectangular, or triangular cross-sectional profile. 
     
     
         57 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the continuous fibers independently has a diameter from 3 μm to 20 μm. 
     
     
         58 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein each of the continuous fibers independently has a diameter from 5 μm to 50 μm. 
     
     
         59 . The fiber-reinforced composite part of  claim 1 , wherein the part comprises two or more shaped filament subunits, wherein each of the two or more shaped filament subunits comprises a fiber bundle having at least one bend.