ABSTRACT

Recently, new 3D printers that can print continuous fiber composites have been commercially available. This presentation shows recent development of 3D printed composites and current trend of 3D printed composite products. This presentation includes research results in the laboratory of Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, such as evaluations of strength of 3D printed composites in various orientations, fiber twisting effect during printing, fiber placement optimizations, self-sensing of 3D printed composites, 3D printing simulation, novel snap-in joints, and novel concentric twin nozzle 3D printer developed in Tokyo Institute of Technology. The presentation will show the future trend of 3D printed composites.

An example of 3D printing simulation using MPS (moving particle semi-implicit) method

About the Speaker

Prof. Akira Todoroki has been a faculty (assistant, associate, full professor) at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, since 1988. He previously worked as a researcher in Nagoya Aircraft Work, Mitsubishi Heavy Industry, in 1986-1988. He also served as a visiting researcher at the University of Florida, USA (1995-1996). He was also invited to KAUST in 2013 to give a talk in CEMAM (Computational and Experimental Mechanics of Advanced Materials), an international workshop organized by Prof. Gilles Lubineau. He received his bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees from Tokyo Institute of Technology. He has been a fellow member of the Japan Society of Composite Materials (JSCM), Japan Society of Materials Science (JSMS), and Japan Reinforced Plastics Society (JRPS). His research interests include 3D printed composites, self-sensing composites, and optimizations of composite structures.

He won prestigious awards since he started his academic career. In 1989, he won the JSME Young Engineers Award from the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineering. In 2000, he won the renowned “Hayashi Award” from Japan Society of Composite Materials, the highest recognition for the researchers working on composite materials in Japan. In the same year, he also won JSMS Young Engineers Award at 29th FRP Symposium. He also won awards from various institutions and societies, including Best Paper Award from High-Pressure Institute of Japan (2021), JSCM Best Paper Awards (2007, 2011, 2014, 2021), JRPS Best Paper Awards (2004, 2005, 2012), JSMS Best Paper Awards (2005, 2006, 2007), Computational Mechanics Achievement Award from JSME (2006), Best Paper Award in the 8th Korea-Japan Joint Symposium on Composite Materials (2011), Award of Achievement (2010) and Best Paper Award (2019) from SAMPE Japan, Best Paper Award from American Society for Composites (2013), and Best Paper Award from JSASS (Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Science).