Staying ahead of the technology curve means strengthening your competitive advantage. That is why we give you data-driven innovation insights into the materials industry. This time, you get to discover 5 hand-picked continuous fiber reinforcement solutions.
Global Startup Heat Map highlights 5 Top Continuous Fiber Reinforcement Startups out of 401
The insights of this data-driven analysis are derived from the Big Data & Artificial Intelligence-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform, covering 2.093.000+ startups & scaleups globally. The platform gives you an exhaustive overview of emerging technologies & relevant startups within a specific field in just a few clicks.
The Global Startup Heat Map below reveals the distribution of the 401 exemplary startups & scaleups we analyzed for this research. Further, it highlights 5 materials startups that we hand-picked based on criteria such as founding year, location, funding raised, and more. You get to explore the solutions of these 5 startups & scaleups in this report. For insights on the other 396 continuous fiber reinforcement solutions, get in touch.
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4M Carbon Fiber develops Carbon Fiber Technology
Carbon fiber is one of the most versatile composite materials. Its properties like high strength to weight ratio, chemical resistance, and temperature tolerance make it suitable for use in harsh conditions. But the process of producing carbon fiber is time-consuming and energy-intensive, limiting the production output. This is why materials startups and scaleups are developing carbon fiber technologies that are cost-effective and greener. This helps to widen the applications of this valuable material.
US-based startup 4M Carbon Fiber develops low-cost and sustainable carbon fiber manufacturing technologies. The startup optimizes the stabilization step in carbon fiber manufacturing. 4M’s stabilization process is faster and uses less energy due to their proprietary plasma system that creates more chemical reactivity to accelerate the process. The process also enables the production of quality carbon fiber from low-cost raw materials. This increases the throughput, providing low-cost carbon fiber while ensuring quality.
Continuous Composites provides Continuous Fiber 3D Printing Technology
Using additive manufacturing techniques for continuous fiber composites reduces the dependence on high-cost molds for complex components. But the alignment requirements of fibers present a major challenge in the design of continuous fiber composites. Therefore, startups are developing additive manufacturing technologies to realize the low-cost rapid fabrication of complicated continuous fiber composite components. These innovations help composite manufactures move away from energy-intensive curing processes.
Continuous Composites is a US-based startup developing continuous fiber 3D printing solutions. The startup’s Continuous Fiber 3D (CF3D) printing technology combines high-performing composite material with rapid curing thermoset resin to create complex parts on demand. The end effectors impregnate the fibers in situ and cure the fiber and resin combination instantly upon deposition. It prints structural fibers such as carbon, glass, and aramid, as well as functional fibers in a single-step process. CF3D polymer matrix materials are customizable in terms of mechanical properties, heat transfer, and environmental durability to meet customer specifications. The material flexibility of CF3D provides users the freedom to create limitless material combinations.
Cityrene offers Glass Fiber Reinforced Gypsum
Reinforced concrete is the most common composite material in construction. Although reinforced concrete offers high strength in tension and compression, it does not offer much resilience to shear loads due to earthquakes and wind. This is why material startups are developing new composites that are able to withstand high lateral loads. These materials are especially useful in regions that are prone to natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, and cyclones, or hurricanes.
Indian startup Cityrene uses glass fiber reinforced gypsum (GFRG) for manufacturing panels for shear walls. GFRG panels provide the same lateral load-bearing capacity for less thickness compared to a conventional brick wall. The panels are fire-resistant and provide resistance against adverse weather conditions, as well as prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. Using GFRG panels helps reduce costs for the mass construction of multi-storied apartments. Moreover, it utilizes waste material as raw material, making the process eco-friendly.
BPREG produces Sustainable Composites
The superior properties of continuous fiber composites make them indispensable materials for applications across industries. But fibers like glass and carbon fiber generate a carbon footprint during their production and are also difficult to recycle after use. So composite materials startups are developing natural fiber composites that have life-cycle superiority. Innovations on natural fibers composites allow greener and sustainable materials to replace synthetic materials like glass and carbon fiber in critical applications such as aerospace and automotive.
BPREG is a Turkish startup that develops natural fiber composites for manufacturing industries. The startup uses flax and hemp fibers as substitutes for synthetic composite reinforcements. These natural fibers meet the high stiffness and reasonable strength demands of the different use cases while providing better noise-vibration-harshness properties and are easier to handle. BPREG provides composites in different fiber patterns enabling customization as per the loading requirements. And at the end of their lifetime, these composites can be easily recycled by reshaping, remolding, or reforming.
CompPair manufactures Self-Healing Glass Fiber Reinforced Plastic
The heterogeneous nature of fiber-reinforced composites makes it difficult to repair even in the case of a small crack. This results in the hefty costs of replacing the affected parts. This is why material startups are developing techniques that help build better products that last longer and produce less waste. These developments reduce the impact on nature as the same component is not manufactured again for a small deformation. Also, the technology helps to cut replacement costs and reduce downtimes.
CompPair is a material science startup developing techniques for fiber-reinforced composite repairs. HealTech, the startup’s prepreg, heals delaminations and porosities by exposing the parts to temperatures between 100 ℃ and 150 ℃. The technology allows parts to self-repair several times without losing mechanical properties or healing capability. In addition, the repairing process does not alter the weight and profiles of the components. CompPair’s technology heals damaged parts avoiding the need for replacement and other expensive molds and pressurized environments.
Discover more Materials Startups
Materials startups such as the examples highlighted in this report focus on hybrid materials, advanced composites, and nanomaterials. While all of these technologies play a major role in advancing the materials industry, they only represent the tip of the iceberg. To explore more materials technologies, simply get in touch to let us look into your areas of interest. For a more general overview, you can download our free Materials Innovation Report to save your time and improve strategic decision-making.
