LASER-SINTERING PROCESS Additive Manufacturing of Continuous Fibre-Reinforced Plastic Components by A Novel Laser-Sintering Process

Today among engineering materials, continuous fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) show high stiffness and strength to weight ratios. To rival the traditional manufacturing methods of CFRP, many investigations have sought to combine the outstanding mechanical performances of these materials with the freedom in design and the economic benefits of additive manufacturing (AM). This paper focuses on a novel laser-sintering machine which enables the integration of continuous fibres into the laser-sintering process as well as the identification of influencing parameters for this new process. Firstly, the principle of fibre roving integration is presented. With the help of a heated nozzle, the already sintered layers are melted. A simultaneous motion sequence between the nozzle and the fibre feed is used to insert the fibre into the molten material. Secondly, machine- and process-related parameters are identified which have an influence on the fibre integration. By using an influence analysis, the parameters will be investigated and parameter sets for a successful fibre integration will be found. The identified parameters are to be used for future investigations, The results of this paper show the potential of continuous fibre integration in the laser-sintering process based on measured tensile properties.