In-situ curing oven for additive manufacturing system

Abstract

A system is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite structure. The system may include a head configured to discharge a continuous reinforcement that is at least partially coated with a matrix, and a housing trailing from the head and configured to at least partially enclose the continuous reinforcement after discharge. The system may also include a heat source disposed at least partially inside the oven, and a support configured to move the head during discharging.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of additively manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 discharging from a head a continuous reinforcement that is at least partially coated with a matrix;   passing the matrix-coated continuous reinforcement through an oven trailing behind on the head;   exposing the matrix-coated continuous reinforcement to heat inside the oven; and   moving the head during discharging to create three-dimensional trajectory in the continuous reinforcement.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including exposing the matrix coating the continuous reinforcement to a cure energy prior to the continuous reinforcement passing into the oven. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the cure energy is UV light. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the UV light cures only an outer shell of the matrix; and   the heat inside the oven cures an inner portion of the matrix.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the UV light cures only the matrix; and   the heat inside the oven cures particles suspended in the matrix.   
     
     
         6 . A method of additively manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 discharging a material from a print head;   moving the print head during discharging;   directing cure energy toward the material from a source connected to a trailing side of the print head; and   directing cure energy to the material from a cure enhancer.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the cure energy directed from the source is a different type of energy than the cure energy directed from the cure enhancer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein directing cure energy toward the material from the source includes directing heat toward the material. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein directing cure energy to the material from the cure enhancer includes directing UV light toward the material. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein directing UV light to the material includes directing the UV light to the material before directing the heat toward the material. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein an amount of the cure energy directed from the source is different than an amount of the cure energy directed from the cure enhancer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the amount of the cure energy directed from the cure enhancer is sufficient to only cure an outer shell of the material. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the amount of the cure energy directed from the source is sufficient to cure an inner portion of the material. 
     
     
         14 . A method of additively manufacturing a composite structure, comprising:
 discharging a material from a print head;   moving the print head during discharging;   directing cure energy toward the material from a first location at a trailing side of the print head; and   directing cure energy toward the material from a second location.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the cure energy directed from the first location is a different type of energy than the cure energy directed from the first location. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein directing the cure energy toward the material from the second location includes directing heat toward the material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein directing the cure energy to the material from the first location includes directing UV light toward the material. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein directing UV light to the material includes directing the UV light to the material before directing the heat toward the material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein an amount of the cure energy directed from the second location is different than an amount of the cure energy directed from the first location. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the amount of cure energy directed from the first location is sufficient to only cure an outer shell of the material; and   the amount of cure energy directed from the second location is sufficient to cure an inner portion of the material.