Design of a Slot-Coater-Based Layered-Composites Manufacturing System

Abstract

This paper addresses the reinforcement of photopolymers, through the addition of short glass fibers, for Rapid Layered Composite parts Manufacturing (RLCM). Novel designs for an (external) fiber-resin-mixing subsystem and a (slot-coating-based) liquid-layer-formation subsystem are presented. These subsystems, when used as integral parts of a lithography-based RLCM system, successfully cope with typical difficulties encountered in the formation of thin layers from a highly viscous fiber-photopolymer composite liquid. Axiomatic Design theory was utilized for the analysis of both subsystem designs. Verification experiments run on an RLCM system confirmed (i) the ability of the fiber-resin-mixing subsystem to supply liquid composite with specified fiber content and to avoid fiber degradation through breakage, as well as (ii) the ability of the liquid-layer-formation subsystem to form solid layers with high fiber content and of uniform thickness.