Multi-axis continuous carbon fiber co-extrusion print head
This technology is a specialized print head for 3D printers that combines standard plastic filament with continuous strands of carbon fiber in a single extrusion process. Unlike conventional composite 3D printing that uses short, chopped carbon fibers, this tool feeds long, uncut carbon fiber bundles (towpreg) alongside the plastic, dramatically increasing the strength of printed parts. A built-in cutting mechanism allows the printer to sever and restart the carbon fiber mid-print, which is essential for complex, multi-directional toolpaths. The result is a print head capable of producing structural parts with near-continuous fiber reinforcement across geometries that previously required manual layup or more expensive equipment.
What you could build
A retrofit or OEM print head module for industrial and research-grade multi-axis 3D printers, sold to aerospace, defense, and industrial manufacturing firms that need lightweight, high-strength structural components without traditional composite layup labor.
Who in Virginia should care
Defense primes and shipbuilders with Virginia facilities—such as those in the Hampton Roads and Northern Virginia corridors—plus university-affiliated advanced manufacturing centers would be natural licensees or development partners.
Readiness: Prototype likely
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Kieran D. Beaumont, Joseph R. Kubalak, Christopher Williams
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed April 7, 2025
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20250312973A1
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.