Continuous Composites & Arkema Partner to Offer Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D®)

Continuous Composites, founded in 2015 and headquartered in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, has just announced further expansion within the 3D world as they enter into a strategic partnership featuring Arkema. The collaboration will move forward via Arkema’s Sartomer business line.

The idea behind the partnership is the integration of the Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D®) with Arkema’s innovative photocurable resin solutions, and the goal is to continue advancing additive manufacturing processes further. Continuous Fiber 3D printing aims to transform manufacturing by introducing composites to a range of industrial applications.

CF3D offers a scalable technology with a combination of composites and a snap-curing 3D printing process allowing for a moldless technique that offers typical advantages of 3D printing such as affordability in manufacturing—and especially with the use of composites. CF3D, comprised of ‘endless commercial applications,’ also brings forth the following benefits:

• Decreased lead time in manufacturing
• Reduction in manual labor and human resources
• Eliminated need for expensive equipment
• Production of complex geometries

 “As an industry leader in materials, our strategic partnership with Arkema opens the door for us to merge CF3D with their cutting-edge UV curable materials and apply Arkema’s long history in the composites field,” said Tyler Alvarado, CEO of Continuous Composites.

“This partnership will expedite the development and deployment of CF3D across a broad spectrum of industries and applications.”

Working together as a team, Continuous Composites and Arkema expect the dynamic use of these newly developed materials and techniques to launch composite manufacturing into the ‘next dimension of innovation.’ The new partners expect a library of advanced material solutions to emerge as they use Arkema’s high-performance resins and other 3D printing materials to create lightweight, high-performance parts and prototypes.

“With Continuous Composites strong technical team and IP, this strategic partnership allows us to develop and position our materials with this revolutionary technology” said Sumeet Jain, Global Business Director for 3D Printing at Sartomer. “We are excited to leverage our materials expertise in developing CF3D, disrupting traditional composites manufacturing, and bringing these advanced composite materials to new industries.”

As the realm of materials science continues to grow within the 3D printing industry, so does that of composites. Filling that ever-growing need for perfection in digital fabrication, researchers continue to improve on current techniques with a range of composites, from nanocomposites to copper metal to polymer composites for thermal management, and far more. No matter what the material today, it seems that users around the world can think of something to add to it to make it even better for 3D printing and additive manufacturing processes.

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