ORNL’s Origami-Inspired Process Cuts Composite Fabrication Costs by 90%

Oak Ridge National Laboratory has created a hybrid additive manufacturing process inspired by origami that prints directly onto flexible fabrics, enabling flat panels to fold into finished composite parts. The technique reduces composite fabrication costs by 90 percent compared to traditional methods.

Researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory‘s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility have developed a hybrid additive manufacturing process that takes its structural logic from origami, printing directly onto flexible fabric substrates to produce flat panels that fold into finished…

This story was originally published by 3D Printing Industry.