Fiberforge opens Swiss office, leverages European thermoplastic composite interest

Located just outside Zürich, Fiberforge GmbH will be managed by Simon Jespersen, a technical expert in thermoplastic advanced composites and the Fiberforge manufacturing process, which uses proprietary technology to automate the production of parts joining advanced thermoplastics and continuous fibers. Fiberforge will use the presence to manage joint development projects with customers in the region and ensure timely and effective service for its RELAY Systems installed in Europe.

One of those European installations will be at the Fraunhofer Institute in Germany, with the company set to deliver its largest production unit to date—which can create thermoplastic composite blanks measuring 2m²—to the research lab, according to Fiberforge President and CEO Jon Fox-Rubin. Participating in the 2010 Clean Technology and Business Forum at the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) Global Plastics Environmental Conference (GPEC), Fox-Rubin said over half the projects the company works on are for metal conversion, with the aerospace/defense market its "beachhead," and additional work in automotive/transportation applications. Nearly 44% of Fiberforge's business falls under "other" encompassing the myriad projects that require light-weight/high-strength parts. —[email protected]