Evaluation of material extrusion and laser-assisted in situ consolidation integrated additive manufacturing for multi-material components

In situ manufacturing technique shows promising potential for the rapid fabrication of multi-material components. This study provides a novel in situ integrated additive manufacturing process for multi-material components. Material extrusion and laser-assisted in situ consolidation technologies were combined in the proposed method. Material extrusion was adopted to produce the thermoplastic resin functional stratifications (polylactic acid), while laser-assisted in situ consolidation was utilized to fabricate the carbon fiber stratifications (CF/PEEK). Mechanical properties of the constructed specimens under various process parameters, including laser power, rolling force, and feeding speed, were systematically investigated and discussed. Experimental results indicated that the rolling force had a significant influence on the shear strength, followed by laser power and feeding speed, with the highest shear strength of 37.02 MPa achieved at a laser power of 158 W. Several different kinds of components were also fabricated and analyzed to demonstrate the feasibility and capability of the proposed method. The components include in situ additive manufacturing laminates ([0/0]s, [0/90]s, [60/−60]s), one thin-walled hollow cylinder ([0/90]s), and one streamlined surface ([0/0]s). The specific strength of the component produced by the proposed method was approximately 555 % higher than that from conventional material extrusion. Finally, the outlook of a prospective application of multi-material components by in situ manufacturing by using the proposed method was introduced.