Continuous Composites Awarded Air Force Contract

Continuous Composites (CCI) has received a $1.9 million Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) contract from the U.S. Air Force to create a finite element analysis (FEA) tool for continuous fiber 3D printing (CF3D). This contract, which started in November 2024, runs through August 2026.

The contract marks progress in the simulation of anisotropic composite materials.

To date, commercially available FEA solutions are limited to isotropic materials, such as metals, where strength and stress responses are uniform in all directions. But CF3D composites are anisotropic, with strength in the direction of the fibers. WIth traditional FEA software, it cannot accurately predict material behavior based on fiber orientation.

"We're solving a major gap in FEA simulation tools," says Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites. "Existing software only assigns a single directional property to each layer of composite material, but CF3D's fiber steering requires a more dynamic approach. Our new tool will accurately simulate how our parts will behave under various conditions, which is crucial for industries like aerospace and defense."

CCI is partnering with industry experts on the development of this new FEA tool. The tool will ingest CF3D toolpath data to generate mesh representations that accurately reflect fiber orientation, material behavior, and structural performance of how anisotropic parts will react to real-world load, according to CCI

For this effort, CCI will integrate the tool into CF3D Studio, enabling the prediction of material properties and performance before physical testing begins. This capability is expected to reduce development time in the design of complex composite parts used in applications.

This contract is reportedly a milestone for Continuous Composites, advancing CF3D technology from a manufacturing process to a design-to-performance solution. The development of this tool represents forward movement in the simulation of high-performance, lightweight composite parts, with applications across the aerospace, defense, and UAV industries.

About AFWERX
As the innovation arm of the DAF and a directorate within the Air Force Research Laboratory, AFWERX employs approximately 370 military, civilian and contractor personnel at four hubs and sites executing an annual $1.4 billion budget. Since 2019, AFWERX has awarded over 10,400 contracts worth more than $7.24 billion to strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base and drive technology transition to operational capability. For more information, visit: afwerx.com.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.