Invited Speaker

Abstract: To address the challenges in the forming of traditional fiber-reinforced composites (such as difficult processing and limited design freedom) and meet the urgent demands in aerospace, automotive, and rail transportation (including lightweight structures, complex geometries, and integrated molding), additive manufacturing of continuous fiber-reinforced composites has become a research hotspot in advanced manufacturing worldwide. This report focuses on the fused deposition additive manufacturing technology for continuous fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites, discussing the current technological limitations of additive manufacturing processes and corresponding improvement strategies. The presenter introduces a series of advanced manufacturing techniques, including the preparation of printing filaments, the development of a rotating print head, and fiber optimization strategies. A complete mechanical characterization and damage failure simulation were conducted for composites with localized anisotropy. By increasing fiber content, reducing manufacturing defects, and optimizing fiber orientation, this study leverages the design flexibility of additive manufacturing to achieve the rapid fabrication of ultra-lightweight carbon fiber composites. Furthermore, the proposed finite element simulation method for in-plane localized anisotropy serves as an effective tool for the design and analysis of continuous fiber composites. Considering the current state of research both domestically and internationally, this report also explores the future development trends of continuous fiber-reinforced composites in advanced additive manufacturing, including multi-material integration, large-scale production, and intelligent digitalization.

Biography: Haoqi Zhang's research focuses on the optimization design and advanced manufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite materials. His work covers the preparation of high-performance fiber materials, advanced additive fiber placement technologies, fiber path and mechanical optimization design, and numerical simulation analysis of fiber composites. His research aims to develop advanced manufacturing systems for high-performance fiber-reinforced composites, providing theoretical and technical support across materials, manufacturing, analysis, and digitalization. Additionally, his research interests extend to advanced fiber/fabric materials, dielectric functional materials, and finite element numerical analysis based on CT tomography. In recent years, he has published over 20 SCI papers as the first or co-author in internationally renowned journals, including Nature Communications, PNAS, Composites Science and Technology, Additive Manufacturing, and Composites Part B: Engineering. His publications have been cited over 700 times, with an H-index of 11.