Micro-AFP Automated Fiber Placement: 2 models

Micro-AFP, micro-scale Automated Fiber Placement, scales the automated fiber layup known from aircraft manufacturing down to parts measured in centimeters to decimeters. A placement head lays pre-impregnated continuous carbon fiber tapes in a thermoplastic matrix such as PA 12, PEKK or PEEK precisely along the load paths, heats them and consolidates them under pressure onto the layer below. Unlike fiber-reinforced filament printing, the fiber is not pulled through a nozzle but laid as a tape, which allows high fiber volume fractions and directional stiffness. The resulting preforms are often re-consolidated in a second step in a press or mold tool. Applications are found in aerospace, medical devices and sporting goods, wherever weight and stiffness are critical.

Two systems in our catalog are assigned to this process; the market is young and shaped by a small number of suppliers, among them 9T Labs. Second-hand offers are correspondingly rare.

When buying used, inspect the placement head and heat source, the condition of the consolidation unit, the availability and manufacturer lock-in of the tape material, software licenses for fiber path planning and simulation, and the associated press or re-consolidation equipment. Below you will find the technical data of all Micro-AFP models in our catalog, together with those currently offered second-hand.