Continuous Composites opens demonstration facility for 3D printing composites

Continuous Composites (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, U.S.) reported on Nov. 4 that it is opening a 7,500-square-foot facility for research, development and additive manufacturing based in Idaho. According to the company, the new building demonstrates its patented Continuous Fiber 3D Printing (CF3D) technology at the largest scale to date, increasing the company’s previous build volume by 25 times. 

Over the past five years, Continuous Composites says it has been building relationships and partnerships with industry leaders to bring its technology to commercialization. These partners are said to play a key role in unveiling the new demonstration facility and are intricately involved in the technology ecosystem that Continuous Composites is generating.

For example, Siemens (Plano, Texas, U.S.) is said to supplement the capabilities of CF3D with its Sinumerik 840D CNC system and Run MyBobot/Direct Control platform to achieve high-accuracy, multi-axis robotic control for automated manufacturing. Arkema’s (Colombes, France) Sartomer business is developing N3xtDimension thermosetting resins tailored to Continuous Composites’ technology and customer-specific applications. Continuous Composites has also partnered with industrial automation company Comau (Grugliasco, Italy), to leverage its robot kinematics and motion controls, and Güdel (Langenthal, Switzerland), a manufacturer of high-precision machine components.

“These partnerships were mutually selected, us choosing them and them choosing us, knowing that by joining efforts, CF3D technology will rapidly scale to the next phase of its capabilities,” states Tyler Alvarado, Continuous Composites CEO. “Our new facility allows us essential access to research and development that is completely in stride with a powerhouse team of strategic partners and customers.”