Additive manufacturing techniques and systems to form composite materials

Abstract

A printer system may include a coaxial extruder head that extrudes a core, a bulk, and/or a core and bulk cladding to form complex structures without retooling. The coaxial extruder head may include a distribution channel with an entrance and an exit, a priming chamber that surrounds the distribution channel. The priming chamber may include an outlet and a first inlet, a heating element thermally connected to the priming chamber, and a nozzle connected to the outlet of the priming chamber. Further, the nozzle may converge from the outlet of the priming chamber to an orifice of the nozzle. In addition, the exit of the distribution channel may be disposed at the orifice of the nozzle. This structure facilitates extruding a core and cladding type composite from the extruder head.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of injection molding a composite material, the method comprising:
 forming, using a printer, an object on a support structure, wherein the object includes one or more porously accessible voided regions;   enclosing the object in a mold that includes an injection mechanism attached to the mold; and   injecting a material to fill the one or more porously accessible voided regions with the mold.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the printer is a 3D printer and the object is a 3D object. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mold is made from a removable material. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the removable material is compostable through microbial activation. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the removable material is dissolvable in a solvent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the removable material is removed by heat. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mold is made from a ceramic substance. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a thermoplastic. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is an epoxy that includes fibers. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the material is a wax that includes sinterable particles. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the object is made from a thermoplastic material and the material is a wax that includes sinterable particles, the method further comprising:
 heating the object in an oxygen free environment until the thermoplastic material undergoes pyrolysis.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising sintering the object into a solid monolith structure. 
     
     
         13 . A fiber dispensing head for a printer comprising:
 a fiber dispenser configured to dispense a fiber onto a sublayer;   a nozzle connected to the fiber dispenser and configured to eject a stream of particles onto the fiber; and   a laser connected to the fiber dispenser and configured to heat the particles at a focal point to adhere the fiber and sublayer to form a new layer.   
     
     
         14 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a gripper-roller;   a motor connected to the gripper-roller and configured to rotate the gripper-roller; and   a motor controller configured to control the motor, wherein the gripper-roller directs the fiber through a distribution channel to the sublayer.   
     
     
         15 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a blade connected to the fiber dispenser and disposed at an outlet of the fiber dispenser, wherein the blade is configured to cut the fiber.   
     
     
         16 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , wherein the particles ejected by the nozzle includes metal. 
     
     
         17 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , wherein the laser is further configured to melt or sinter the particles ejected by the nozzle. 
     
     
         18 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , wherein the laser outputs in infrared spectrum. 
     
     
         19 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a blade disposed at the nozzle.   
     
     
         20 . The fiber dispensing head of  claim 13 , wherein the printer is a 3D printer.