9T Labs, experts in digital, automated and cost-competitive serial production of continuous fibre components, is featuring the company’s cutting-edge Red Series Additive Fusion Technology (AFT) platform at K 2022, the world’s number one trade fair for plastics and rubbers, October 19-26, in Düsseldorf, Germany.
9T Labs is hosted by its material partner and strategic investor, Solvay, in hall 6, booth C61. At the booth, 9T Labs is showcasing the fabrication of a rear suspension rocker arm made from KetaSpire polyether-ether-ketone (PEEK) with continuous carbon fibre for a motorcycle using 9T Labs’ AFT platform. AFT is a fully integrated 3D composites manufacturing software and hardware solution that allows the automated manufacturing at scale of structural composite parts that are cost-competitive with, and more sustainable than similar components made from aluminium.
The super strong PEEK rocker arm, with its complex design, demonstrates the structural challenges that can be overcome and the part requirements that can be addressed with the use of 9T Labs’ AFT platform. In the development of this part, this new manufacturing standard enabled the production of less waste and a final product that was 37% less expensive and 50 percent lighter than the aluminium benchmark.
“We solve the problem that traditional composite manufacturing is expensive and limited in its geometrical freedom, in particular for small-sized applications,” said Yannick Willemin, head of marketing and business development at 9T Labs. “We are defining a new composite manufacturing standard that allows us to produce structural composite parts as easily as metal parts.”
9T Labs’ sales manager for the DACH and Benelux regions, Arne Büttner, will give a presentation titled “Moving Structural Composites into a New Era of Manufacturing,” at Solvay’s booth (hall 6, booth C61) on Friday, October 21, from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. CEST. Attendees can also book a meeting with 9T Labs team members.
As a leading supplier of thermoplastic composite technologies working to accelerate 3D printing adoption in transportation, Solvay, has provided critical strategic input to help 9T Labs more fully commercialise its Red Series software tools, 3D printer and moulding equipment to lead the way in the production of sustainable high-performance parts for end-use applications.
