Hybrid Manufacturing

Reconfigurable liquid crystal elastomers use pixel-based director patterns for multi-mode shape morphing in soft robotics and adaptive surfaces.

High-temp DLP/SLA photopolymer inserts enable hybrid tooling, short-run injection molding, and faster iteration with stable, metal-like performance.

K-Rain cuts sprinkler molding cycle time by 20% using Xact Metal 3D-printed Corrax inserts and conformal cooling for better quality.

Shape-memory polymers enable strong, reversible adhesion inspired by nature, advancing smart adhesives for robotics and flexible electronics.

Engineered polymers extract rare-earth ions from contaminated leachates, reducing acid consumption, cycle time, and solvent inventories.

Smart factories use data analytics, automation, and modular design to enhance efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability in plastics manufacturing.

Plasticizer migration erodes performance and elevates compliance risk in PVC products. To counter this, surface engineering gives manufacturers direct, interface-level control.

Researchers are investigating how polymers can play a part in reinforcing older masonry buildings, making them more resistant to earthquakes.

Researchers are using machine learning (ML) to unlock the potential of an alternative welding technique for joining wood-plastic composites (WPCs).

An emerging technology, cold sintering, promises breakthroughs in the production of polymer-ceramic composites.