February 20, 2025
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February 20, 2025
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Juggerbot 3D partners with MSU, ORNL for hybrid LFAM composites project

JuggerBot 3D’s Hybrid LFAM composites project
JuggerBot 3D’s Hybrid LFAM composites project/Source: JuggerBot 3D
Key Takeaways

JuggerBot 3D, a large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM) printer developer, recently revealed that Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Mississippi State University’s Advanced Composites Institute (ACI) have been selected as key technical partners in JuggerBot 3D’s hybrid LFAM composites project, backed by the Air Force Research Laboratory.

The $4 million project, funded by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defence for Research and Engineering Manufacturing Technology, aims to advance large-scale hybrid AM for faster and more cost-effective tooling production in the defence and aerospace industries.

Hybrid LFAM Composites Project

Mississippi State University Advanced Composite Institute Team with JuggerBot 3D at RAPID + TCT 2024
Mississippi State University Advanced Composite Institute Team with JuggerBot 3D at RAPID + TCT 2024/Source: JuggerBot 3D

The two institutions were chosen as technical partners due to their expertise in fused granulate fabrication (FGF) and direct ink writing (DIW). ORNL and MSU ACI will work together to develop reliable process parameters for consistent material deposition, as well as demonstrate the steps required to create production tooling for composites manufacturing.

The project aims to create a system that combines two-part resin and pellet-fed material extrusion technologies to process high-performance thermoplastic polymers and advanced thermoset resin inks such as epoxies and vinyl esters. The system, which can build volumes of 360 cubit feet, will demonstrate critical process controls that are common to JuggerBot 3D’s additive technologies.

It is expected to be completed by December 2025 and will go through several development stages, including system development, comprehensive modelling, and advanced toolpath development.

ORNL will use its FGF and DIW expertise to improve toolpath generation software, allowing for the simultaneous processing of thermoplastics and thermosets. This collaboration builds on previous successful projects, such as the Bead Characterisation System (BCS) and JuggerBot 3D’s material card development.

“Transitioning from a mould that takes 12-18 months and a six-figure investment to produce, to one that takes only a few weeks at a fraction of the cost, is a significant enabler across the U.S.”

– Hunter Watts, research engineer at MSU ACI

MSU ACI will lead system-level validation, which will include rigorous material testing to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the process parameters developed for thermoplastic and thermoset materials.

The OSD(R&E) funded the congressional award, which was announced in February 2024.


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Abhimanyu Chavan
Abhimanyu is the founder of Manufactur3D and has spent more than 7 years in the 3D printing industry. He has written over 2000 articles on the technology and industry and he continues to write and share content to promote the technology across the globe, and more so in India. You can follow him on social platforms.
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