The design freedom and tool-less nature of 3D printing means composite lay-up tools can be printed in hours or days, regardless of geometry. They are lightweight and, depending on the material used, can withstand autoclave cure. Compare this to heavy conventional tooling that can take months to procure.
Soluble sacrificial tooling simplifies the production of hollow composite parts, avoiding trapped tool scenarios. Once the composite is cured, the 3D printed tool is dissolved, enabling one-piece, seamless structures.
In this design guide you’ll learn the best practices for the design and fabrication of 3D printed composite tools, and see how various customers have achieved success with this technology.
3D printed composite tooling offers benefits for virtually any industry that produces composite structures.
