Universities and Research Centers can collaborate with 9T Labs in various ways. Like you, 9T Labs is committed to furthering the research of continuous fiber composites. Here are some of the most common ways 9T Labs collaborates with Universities & Research Centers across the globe:
9T Labs engineers, assembles, and markets its own additive manufacturing hardware units (Build Modules). These modules are capable of placing continuous fiber tapes as well as neat or short fiber-reinforced plastic filaments.
The additively manufactured parts can have an extremely complex fiber design, with curved linear fiber paths and complex fiber layups, all engineered in the fibrify® Design Suite software. The modules are connected to the fibrify® Production Suite software for process control and data monitoring.
Process high-performing thermoplastics with equipment that can reach temperatures up to 450°C. If you'd like more information, download the technical specs of the Build Module and Fusion Module here.
Whether you are researching novel material development or collaborating with an industrial partner on an optimally designed, structural, lightweight application, 9T Labs' open material platform provides a flexible solution for your material needs.
9T Labs' software and equipment can process a wide range of market-available feedstock. The Build Module is capable of processing advanced thermoplastic fiber composite materials such as PEEK, PEKK, LMPEAK, PEI, PPS, and PA12, with high fiber volume fractions of up to 60%. You can also process your own custom composite materials.
9T Labs' equipment excels with carbon fibers, but you can work with glass, aramid, basalt, and other fibers as well. One focus area for the future is recycled and bio-based materials.
9T Labs' feedstock material comes in two types. The first type is a continuous fiber tape, and the second type is a neat or short-fiber reinforced polymer 1.75 mm round filament.
Advanced compression molding is the key to unlocking the mechanical properties and design freedom of continuous fiber additively manufactured preforms. Introducing this step is the only way to reach consistency, high part quality, excellent consolidation, perfect surface finish, and low void content (less than 1%). Advanced compression molding adds complexity to your design, allowing for out-of-plane fiber configurations, re-shaping of parts, and adding functional integration into your part in one step.
With complete control, visibility, and traceability of your process parameters, embracing this step will allow you to outperform both metals and traditional composites
Advanced compression molding is essential for achieving consistent, high-quality, and highly functional continuous fiber additive-manufactured preforms, outperforming both metals and traditional composites. If you'd like more information, download the technical specs of the Build Module and Fusion Module here.
Beyond the standard Additive Fusion Technology™, you can merge the additively manufactured preforms with other composite manufacturing technologies like over-molding or injection molding. In the following example, we are leveraging the best of both technologies.
9T Labs offers localized reinforcement using a minimal amount of material to achieve the necessary mechanical performance. For the in-fill, chopped fiber thermoplastic chips, or recycled material are used to provide a more cost-effective approach. Only 20% of the volume is continuous fiber!
Fibrify® Design Suite is an in-house developed software solution providing advanced fiber design, fully leveraging the performance of the continuous fibers, resulting in ultra-lightweight parts. The design software uses Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and data-driven software tools to optimize and validate the part design.
Fibrify® Production Suite ensures a continuous workflow for production as well as full traceability and process data collection. Continue scrolling to see some of Fibrify features.