SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADDITIVELY MANUFACTURING COMPOSITE WIRING HARNESS

• Main Authors: Alfson, Blake L, Stockett, Ryan C, Alvarado, Tyler B, Tyler, Kenneth Lyle, Budge, Trevor David
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 30.05.2019
• Subjects: ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY; ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING, i.e. MANUFACTURING OFTHREE-DIMENSIONAL [3-D] OBJECTS BY ADDITIVE DEPOSITION, ADDITIVEAGGLOMERATION OR ADDITIVE LAYERING, e.g. BY 3-D PRINTING,STEREOLITHOGRAPHY OR SELECTIVE LASER SINTERING; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING; BASIC ELECTRIC ELEMENTS; CABLES; CASTING; CONDUCTORS; ELECTRICITY; INSULATORS; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING ORDIELECTRIC PROPERTIES; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDEDFOR; SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL; VEHICLES, VEHICLE FITTINGS, OR VEHICLE PARTS, NOT OTHERWISEPROVIDED FOR; WORKING METALLIC POWDER; WORKING OF PLASTICS; WORKING OF SUBSTANCES IN A PLASTIC STATE, IN GENERAL

A method is disclosed for additively manufacturing a composite wiring harness. The method may include directing a plurality of conductors through a print head, directing at least one reinforcement through the print head, and coating at least one of the plurality of conductors and the at least one reinforcement with a matrix material. The method may also include discharging the at least one of the plurality of conductors and the at least one reinforcement with the matrix material from the print head, and exposing the matrix material during discharging to a cure energy to cause hardening of a sheath around the plurality of conductors.