Periodic Reporting for period 1 - CFM4Industry (Continuous Fiber Manufacturing for Industry)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2024-06-01 do 2025-08-31
The global composites market, valued at around €300 billion, is expanding steadily, driven by demand in aerospace, automotive, marine, energy, and sports sectors where advanced composites are sought after for their unique combination of high mechanical performance and low weight. Nevertheless, a consistent part of composite production is still addressed by means of manual processes, which are labor-intensive, require numerous separate operations, incur significant tooling and equipment costs, and heavily depend on skilled personnel. These methods are time-consuming, generate large amounts of waste, and often pose health and safety risks. Automated alternatives exist but remain limited by high acquisition costs, continued reliance on molds, and restricted ability to produce complex geometries.
In this context, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of composites emerges as a potential solution. However, currently available AM technologies mostly rely on costly feedstocks, operate at low deposition speeds, and are constrained to small build volumes and planar deposition strategies, determining a substantial gap between market needs and manufacturing capabilities.
The CFM4Industry project, promoted by Moi Composites, seeks to close this gap by industrializing two complementary innovations: Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM®), a patented additive technology for thermoset-based continuous fiber reinforced composites, and Short Fiber Manufacturing (SFM®), a novel AM route for high-throughput production of thermosetting composite ancillaries. The MOI platform integrates robotics, digital design, and next-generation thermosetting resins to enable a mold-less, automated process for high-performance composite manufacturing with the aim to drastically reduce the number of operations required, expanding design freedom, shorten lead times, cut costs, and lower the environmental footprint of composite production.
By bringing composites manufacturing technologies to industrial maturity, the project will equip manufacturers and SMEs with a scalable, flexible solution for producing advanced composites and ancillaries, with the expectation of accelerating digitalization in manufacturing, opening new markets, strengthening competitiveness, and creating more sustainable, safer, and cost-efficient production pathways for high-performance materials.
In this context, Additive Manufacturing (AM) of composites emerges as a potential solution. However, currently available AM technologies mostly rely on costly feedstocks, operate at low deposition speeds, and are constrained to small build volumes and planar deposition strategies, determining a substantial gap between market needs and manufacturing capabilities.
The CFM4Industry project, promoted by Moi Composites, seeks to close this gap by industrializing two complementary innovations: Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM®), a patented additive technology for thermoset-based continuous fiber reinforced composites, and Short Fiber Manufacturing (SFM®), a novel AM route for high-throughput production of thermosetting composite ancillaries. The MOI platform integrates robotics, digital design, and next-generation thermosetting resins to enable a mold-less, automated process for high-performance composite manufacturing with the aim to drastically reduce the number of operations required, expanding design freedom, shorten lead times, cut costs, and lower the environmental footprint of composite production.
By bringing composites manufacturing technologies to industrial maturity, the project will equip manufacturers and SMEs with a scalable, flexible solution for producing advanced composites and ancillaries, with the expectation of accelerating digitalization in manufacturing, opening new markets, strengthening competitiveness, and creating more sustainable, safer, and cost-efficient production pathways for high-performance materials.
The industrialization and technology development project has been structured as a sequence of coordinated activities aimed at creating and maturing a new digital framework for composite manufacturing. Initial efforts have concentrated on the core technological components, including the design of novel AM materials, the improvement of a CAM software for design and process planning, and the enhancement of dedicated hardware.
Building on this foundation, the project introduced complementary solutions designed to reduce costs, lower environmental impact, and broaden the target range of application scenarios and industrial sectors, with development addressing not only final part production but also auxiliary components within the composite manufacturing value chain, where efficiency improvements can deliver substantial impact. A modular architecture underpins the development approach, enabling materials, software, and hardware to evolve in parallel while ensuring interoperability, flexibility, and the agile introduction of upgrades or extensions over time.
Among the main outcomes of the project is an industrial additive manufacturing platform capable of supporting Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM®) and Short Fiber Manufacturing (SFM®), as well as milling operations. These hybrid and sequential workflows for the production of both structural components not only support sustainable manufacturing practices but also accelerate the time-to-market for high-performance and customized composite components.
Building on this foundation, the project introduced complementary solutions designed to reduce costs, lower environmental impact, and broaden the target range of application scenarios and industrial sectors, with development addressing not only final part production but also auxiliary components within the composite manufacturing value chain, where efficiency improvements can deliver substantial impact. A modular architecture underpins the development approach, enabling materials, software, and hardware to evolve in parallel while ensuring interoperability, flexibility, and the agile introduction of upgrades or extensions over time.
Among the main outcomes of the project is an industrial additive manufacturing platform capable of supporting Continuous Fiber Manufacturing (CFM®) and Short Fiber Manufacturing (SFM®), as well as milling operations. These hybrid and sequential workflows for the production of both structural components not only support sustainable manufacturing practices but also accelerate the time-to-market for high-performance and customized composite components.
The impact of the developed solutions extends beyond product manufacturing, streamlining processes traditionally based on numerous operations and costly tooling, and offering manufacturers a tool for more efficient and flexible production strategies. End-users can benefit from faster turnaround times, higher levels of customization, and the ability to access advanced composite performance at industry-level price points, with a reduction in scrap generation and a substantial decrease in process energy intensity.
To ensure that these benefits translate into industrial impact, it is crucial to accelerate go-to-market activities and secure access to finance. Dedicated investment is needed to bridge the gap between demonstration and commercial deployment, supporting industrial pilots, tradeshows, and internationalization.
Further uptake of the technology will also require continued research, development, and qualification, including penetration into new markets with tailored advanced materials. Strong intellectual property protection remains essential to safeguard the devised solutions.
Demonstration activities and pilots play an important role in building practical case studies across industries, with the scope of facilitating the communication of the technology's value propositions.
To ensure that these benefits translate into industrial impact, it is crucial to accelerate go-to-market activities and secure access to finance. Dedicated investment is needed to bridge the gap between demonstration and commercial deployment, supporting industrial pilots, tradeshows, and internationalization.
Further uptake of the technology will also require continued research, development, and qualification, including penetration into new markets with tailored advanced materials. Strong intellectual property protection remains essential to safeguard the devised solutions.
Demonstration activities and pilots play an important role in building practical case studies across industries, with the scope of facilitating the communication of the technology's value propositions.