US 12,030,242 B2
Method of fabricating an article by fused filament fabrication
Amir Rezai, Bristol (GB)
Assigned to BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
Appl. No. 17/780,050
Filed by BAE Systems plc, London (GB)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2020, PCT No. PCT/GB2020/053000
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 26, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2021/105671, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 3, 2021.
Claims priority of application No. 19275133 (EP), filed on Nov. 28, 2019; and application No. 1917352 (GB), filed on Nov. 28, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0410469 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. B29C 64/118 (2017.01); B29C 64/255 (2017.01); B29C 64/321 (2017.01); B33Y 10/00 (2015.01); B33Y 70/00 (2020.01); B29K 105/12 (2006.01)
CPC B29C 64/118 (2017.08) [B29C 64/255 (2017.08); B29C 64/321 (2017.08); B33Y 10/00 (2014.12); B33Y 70/00 (2014.12); B29K 2105/12 (2013.01); B29K 2995/0094 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of fabricating an article by fused filament fabrication, the method comprising:
providing a FFF filament comprising a first set of reinforcement fibres, including a first reinforcement fibre, surrounded, at least in part, with a first polymeric composition;
forming a first discontinuity of a first set of discontinuities in the first reinforcement fibre; and
depositing the filament, including the first discontinuity of the first set of discontinuities formed in the first reinforcement fibre, comprising softening, at least in part, the first polymeric composition and solidifying the softened first polymeric composition;
wherein depositing the filament, including the first discontinuity of the first set of discontinuities formed in the first reinforcement fibre, comprises depositing the filament, including the first discontinuity of the first set of discontinuities formed in the first reinforcement fibre, in a first arc of a set of arcs;
wherein the first discontinuity of the first set of discontinuities in the first reinforcement fibre is a partial discontinuity at which the cross sectional area and/or diameter of the first reinforcement fibre is reduced by a percentage that is in a range from 10% to 90%; and
wherein the method comprises surrounding the first set of reinforcement fibres, at least in part, with the first polymeric composition after forming the first discontinuity of the first set of discontinuities in the first reinforcement fibre.