Rich in Fibre: Exploring the use of carbon fibre material in desktop 3D printing
- field Product Design
- By Benjamin Brayshaw
Rich in Fibre explores the utilisation of Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP) material in the printing of three-dimensional objects. CFRP material presents one of the greatest strength to weight ratios of any material currently on the market. This characteristic sees its use in high end, high performance applications, such as Formula One racing and the aerospace industry. However, CFRP material is extremely expensive to work with, often requiring costly and laborious processes. 3D Printing technology has the potential to reduce the labourious processes associated with CFRP object manufacturing, and therefore make CFRP objects less costly to produce. Decreased costs may result in greater utilisation of the material, in turn increasing the quality and longevity of products on the market.
CFRP 3D printing is in its infancy, with the first systems emerging in late 2013 that demonstrate the ability to combine the material and process. This project examines existing 3D printing techniques, and builds on these techniques to design opportunities offered by CFRP material integration. Based on detailed material testing, the project proposes innovative modes of deposition and material placement. Research outcomes include iterative prototypes of the deposition system, and material outcomes that explore future design opportunities given by the proposed application methods. These material outcomes and proposed methods are discussed in relation to their foreseeable impact on future 3D printed objects.
- field Product Design
- By Benjamin Brayshaw
