Italian 3D printer manufacturer Caracol has partnered with French manufacturer Formes et Volumes to produce a large-scale composite lamination tool for aerospace using robotic large-format additive manufacturing, combining fiber-reinforced thermoplastics and hybrid post-processing in a single integrated workflow.

Built on the Heron AM platform and already deployed in an active production environment, the project delivers a fully monolithic structure that cuts lead times by 50% and production costs by 30% compared to conventional tooling approaches.

Large-scale composite lamination tools have historically been among the most demanding components to produce in aerospace manufacturing. Traditional approaches rely on multi-part assemblies, extended CNC machining cycles, and tight tolerance stacking, challenges that become more pronounced as part geometry grows.…