The U.S. Air Force Laboratory’s (USAF) composites branch has partnered with the University of Miami, Louisiana Tech University, University of Arkansas and the University of Texas to highlight the application of 3D printed carbon fiber and epoxy components on air and spacecraft structures.
The partnership comes after Emrah Celik, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, spent his summer as a Fellow for the 2018 AFRL Summer Faculty. He furthered his research on 3D printing composite materials and mentored academic researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Materials and Manufacturing Directorate. The material is composed of at least two ingredients, which when combined improves the structures stability.
The USAF indicated that additive printing supports the integration of metal and electrical parts, which can accelerate the construction of multifunctional structures for unmanned aircraft systems.
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