At the JEC World International Composite Materials Exhibition to be held in Paris from March 10th to 12th, 2026, a live demonstration about future manufacturing is about to attract global attention. Thermwood, a leading CNC machinery manufacturer in the United States, announced that it will showcase its revolutionary Large Scale Additive Manufacturing (LSAM) technology in the LIVE demonstration area of Hall 6. The core of the demonstration is an LSAM AP510 additive printer that prints a pair of molds for manufacturing drones in real-time every day, using the highly anticipated carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate material in today's cutting-edge manufacturing field. This is not only a technology show, but also a declaration of the deep integration of carbon fiber composite materials and large-scale 3D printing towards industrial applications.

Thermwood's demonstration is highly targeted. Every day, they will collaborate with different material suppliers (Airtech, Sabic, or Techmer PM) to use their carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic materials for printing, highlighting the extensive material compatibility of LSAM technology. The printed drone mold will be directly handed over to our partner Aria Group for the production of molded drone bodies, which will be exhibited on the same stage, forming a complete closed-loop from digital models to final products. In addition, two interactive demonstrations per day will delve into how LSAM efficiently and accurately manufactures large thermoplastic components, covering collaborative projects, cutting-edge research, and practical cases, fully demonstrating the powerful advantages of this technology in material selection and design freedom. Eduardo Barocio, an expert from the Purdue University Composite Additive Manufacturing and Simulation Alliance, will also be present at the scene to demonstrate how Additive 3D software can simulate and predict the performance of extruded deposition additive manufacturing components, seamlessly linking virtual simulation with actual manufacturing.

The carbon fiber reinforced polycarbonate used for printing drone molds at the JEC exhibition is one of the compatible materials for LSAM technology. LSAM adopts a two-step process of "near net forming": first, a carbon fiber composite blank slightly larger than the final size is printed at high speed, and then refined to precise specifications through precision machining - this process is currently the "fastest and most efficient" solution in the manufacturing of large carbon fiber structural components. If combined with a double dragon gate structure, it can also achieve 3D printing of one part and milling of another part simultaneously, greatly improving production efficiency.