Using Magnetic Fields to Reinforce 3D Printing
MIE Associate Professor Randall Erb was awarded a patent for “Additive manufacturing of discontinuous fiber composites using magnetic fields.”
Abstract Source: USPTO
A method and apparatus for producing a composite part are provided to enable composite parts to be assembled with precise control over the orientation and spatial distribution of reinforcing or other particles within a matrix material. The method and apparatus use magnetic fields applied during various additive manufacturing processes to achieve complex particles orientations within each layer of the part. The composite parts can achieve enhanced properties, including mechanical, thermal, electrical and optical properties.
