Continuous Composites, based in Coeur D’Alene, Idaho, has signed a joint development agreement with French multinational Saint-Gobain to advance and certify the already-patented CF3D (continuous fibre 3D) printing process for composites in commercial aerospace applications.

Saint-Gobain will now bring the production systems of Continuous Composites for CF3D in-house, to be located at its manufacturing centres of excellence in the USA or Europe, where engineers from both companies will collaborate on the technology.

CF3D is an automated manufacturing solution for additively manufacturing strong, lightweight, aerospace-grade composite components applicable to many industries.

By combining high-performance continuous fibres with rapid curing thermoset resins, CF3D increases the efficiency of the composite parts manufacturing process to deliver substantially lower cost and shorter lead times compared to conventional methods. CF3D offers a wide range of materials for manufacturing both traditional and high temperature composites, as well as multi-functional structures enabled by printed sensors and wires.

“This technology will help our customers solve weight and structural challenges that are inherent in aerospace applications,” said Scott Huth, general manager of aerospace at Saint-Gobain Mobility.

www.continuouscomposites.com