“First-time-right” production in Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM) of advanced composite parts is like asking someone to marry you on the first date.
In LFAM, you’re juggling multiple engineering, material, and process variables that all need to work perfectly together on the first attempt—without the iterative tuning that’s usually part of production.
While it would be extremely unlikely to receive a “yes” to a marriage proposal on the first date, Thermwood has been working hard to make “first-time-right” production of advanced composite parts a reality. It’s been four years since they started working with Purdue University’s Composites Manufacturing Simulation Center (CMSC) on research into large-scale composite thermoplastic additive manufacturing.
They’ve reached a key milestone in this research today by merging predictive simulation with large-scale 3D printing, enabling “first-time-right” production of advanced composite parts.
In the interview below, Dr. Byron Pipes and Dr. Eduardo Barocio share how this groundbreaking collaboration between Purdue University, the CAMS Consortium, and Thermwood’s LSAM® (Large Scale Additive Manufacturing) technology is redefining how research moves from the lab to the factory floor.
Partners promise faster development, lower costs and stronger, more complex structures than ever before.
