Auburn University grows composites research, programs and capabilities via CF3D Enterprise cell
Auburn’s Applied Research Institute is strengthening its hypersonic initiatives with Continuous Composites and its engagement with government, industry and defense partners.
Source | Continuous Composites
Auburn University (Ala., U.S.) has expanded its advanced manufacturing capabilities with the purchase of a CF3D Enterprise cell from Continuous Composites (Coeur D’ Alene, Idaho, U.S.). The system has been installed at the Auburn University Research and Innovation Campus, strengthening the facility’s role in composites manufacturing within the region’s fast-growing hypersonic development ecosystem.
CF3D Enterprise and Continuous Composites’ CF3D Studio software provides Auburn with the capability to manufacture high-performance continuous fiber composite structures that support research programs focused on challenges in aerospace and defense.
Located on a nine-acre site in Cummings Research Park and minutes from Redstone Arsenal’s Gate 9, the Huntsville campus is surrounded by defense primes, aerospace partners and organizations driving national-priority programs. The facility houses the Auburn University Applied Research Institute and includes configurable laboratories, modeling and simulation environments, secure research areas and dedicated workspaces for interns and graduate researchers. It serves as Huntsville’s primary connection to the university’s research programs and technical capabilities.
Auburn’s Huntsville team views the CF3D Enterprise as both a research tool and a strategic capability. Its integration aligns with the area’s growing focus on hypersonics, where advanced composite architectures are essential for thermal performance and structural efficiency The system also strengthens Auburn’s collaboration with Continuous Composites on hypersonic initiatives and supports the university’s engagement with government, industry and defense partners.
“Huntsville continues to be the gravitational center of hypersonic development in the U.S., and Auburn is investing where it matters,” says Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites. “The addition of a CF3D Enterprise cell gives Auburn and its partners a modern composite manufacturing capability and a tool set to explore structural concepts that were previously out of reach.”
The installation enables Auburn researchers to work directly with the surrounding defense community, accelerating prototyping workflows and applied materials research. Students and faculty also gain hands-on experience with digital composite manufacturing, a growing requirement across aerospace and defense programs.
Continuous Composites will host a CF3D Tech Tour at Auburn University’s Huntsville Research and Innovation Center on March 11, 2026. The event will operate at a Distro C classification level and will bring together aerospace OEMs, defense primes, research institutions and government stakeholders for technical discussions, demonstrations and a firsthand look at the CF3D Enterprise Cell. Fill out this form to be added to the invitation list.
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