The WEAV3D process combines weaving and composite consolidation into an automated, continuous process that reduces waste, cycle times and material handling costs. WEAV3D is a company based in Norcross, Georgia. The company’s ‘Rebar for Plastics’ approach improves part stiffness and strength while minimising weight, enabling innovations in the automotive and construction markets at a fraction of the cost and cycle time associated with traditional composite manufacturing.
Conventional composite manufacturing methods also rely on energy-intensive curing processes, which translate to high embodied energy, or energy per unit mass, and contribute to the overall CO2 footprint of the finished part. WEAV3D was previously awarded a $224,718 NSF SBIR Phase I grant to investigate alternative thermal consolidation methods to reduce embodied energy by at least 60% relative to the current infrared consolidation baseline. Of all the consolidation techniques evaluated, ultrasonic welding showed the best combination of speed, efficiency and weld quality.
The company has been awarded a $999,943 National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II grant. This two-year award will fund the design, fabrication and testing of a continuous composite forming machine that uses ultrasonic welding to increase the production throughput of WEAV3D’s patent-pending continuous composite forming process.
WEAV3D’s next-generation system will be built with automotive production speed and quality standards in mind, with a target production capacity of 200,000 to 300,000 automotive door panel size parts per year.
