A novel tooling-free carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) manufacturing method, double point incremental forming (DPIF) with direct electrical curing (DEC)

Carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) are essential in various industries due to their exceptional specific mechanical properties. However, conventional CFRP manufacturing involves significant costs related to moulds, ovens, and autoclaves, rendering it expensive for low-volume production and prototyping. This study introduces a novel method, Double-Point Incremental Forming with Direct Electric Curing (DPIF-DEC), which enables CFRP fabrication without the need for moulds, directly from CAD models, but it is not suited for mass production. This technique, enhanced by the addition of 2 wt.% carbon black to the epoxy resin matrix, improves through-thickness electrical conductivity, allowing uniform and rapid curing. DPIF-DEC demonstrates rapid localised curing, real-time process monitoring, and achieves mechanical properties comparable to traditional methods. Additionally, it reduces energy consumption, presenting a cost-effective and environmentally sustainable solution for low-volume and prototype CFRP production, laying the groundwork for future applications in continuous-fibre composite manufacturing directly from CAD models.