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University & Research Center

9T Labs' novel end-to-end manufacturing solution is the perfect research tool for Universities and Research Centers at the forefront of composite research.
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Why Work With 9T Labs

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:

  1. Direct technology acquisition
    •  Many Universities are moving forward with 9T Labs' Additive Fusion Technology™.
  2. 9T Labs as a subcontractor for grant and call opportunities
    • 9T Labs' knowledge, experience, and unique technology can help you win funding opportunities.
  3. Joint Collaboration with Industrial Partner
    • Do you have an industrial partner that could benefit from 9T Labs' technology? Let's collaborate to solve your partners' challenges.
Solvay logo
Innovation Plasturgie Composites logo
Purdue University logo
Technische Universität Berlin logo
fachhochschule nordwestschweiz logo
centre de développement des composites du québec logo
università degli studi di padova logo
University of Tokyo

Build Module: Additive Manufacturing

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.

Build Specs:

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.

Build Module
build module data on a screen
Get real time data of all your process parameters for traceability and optimization
Make complex continuous fiber reinforcement designs, with high fiber volume fraction for your research

feedstock: Open Material System

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.

Feedstock Material Specs:

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.

thermoplastic fiber composite

Fusion Module: Advanced Compression Molding

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

Fusion Module Specs:

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.

Fusion module machine

Fusion Module: Before and After Advanced Compression Molding

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Black carbon composite after compression moldingBlack carbon composite before compression molding
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Black composite after compression moldingBlack composite before compression molding
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Black composite after compression moldingBlack composite before compression molding
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Black composite after compression moldingBlack composite before compression molding

Fusion Module: Manufacture double-curvature parts; make flat preforms and reshape them during fusion.

flat silver double-curvature parts
flat silver double-curvature parts

Fusion Module: Place Multi-Material Inserts

machine part being manufactured
Two silver parts

Fusion Module: Embrace Hybrid Manufacturing

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!

silver bin pin bracket
two silver parts

fibrify®: Continuous fiber design software

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.

Clip showing 3D - Out of plane (OOP) features of the continuous fiber design software

2D Features

Line follower

A simple line along a given path. The path can be strengthened by fiber.

Contour infill

A simple line along a given path. The path can be strengthened by fiber.

Spiral

A spiral built around a circular contour.

Custom band

Surrounds two or more holes with fibers and provides many options for reinforcement.
Clip showing 2D features of the continuous fiber design software

2.5D Features

Face follower

Follows along faces of a solid and fills in fibers along curves created on a particular height’s cross-section of that face.

Solid infill

Infill an entire solid with directional fibers.
Clip showing 2.5D features of the continuous fiber design software

3D - Out of plane (OOP) features

OOP Line follower

A simple line along a given path in 3D. Fibers can strengthen the path

OOP Contour infill

Fills a contour with fibers in a 3D plane

OOP Surrounding Band

Surrounds two or more holes out-of-plane with fibers and provides many options for reinforcement.

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