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In the evolving landscape of thermoplastic composites manufacturing, (AIM, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan) and Unwind3D Srl (U3D, Varese, Italy) have strengthened their collaboration, offering advanced services and solutions for medium-to-small-sized composite components. At JEC World 2025, U3D is highlighting this partnership, which aims to provide thermoplastic composite parts manufacturers access to a combination of global expertise and localized support with consistent results and a reliable supply chain. 

In addition, technologies and solutions like the Spidui Molding Cell and TP Multi-Station Line will be available to attendees. They are specifically designed and optimized for consumable goods, wearables, footwear and ultra-light vehicle industries.

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At JEC World 2024, U3D first introduced the Spidui Molding Cell, a compression molding system developed to produce thermoplastic composite parts with high speed, cost-efficiency and optimal energy savings. According to U3D, this dual-purpose system transitions seamlessly between R&D applications and full-scale production, featuring proprietary software and advanced tooling for rapid cycle times at temperatures up to 300°C. Since its launch, U3D has leveraged Spidui to produce up to 40,000 thermoplastic parts annually.

In parallel, AIM, specializing in sporting goods production and composite material solutions, has driven the development of the TP Multi-Station Line. This platform has elevated production capabilities to 500,000 thermoplastic composite parts annually. Originally designed by AIM for molding thermoplastic organosheet preforms, years of deep collaboration with U3D has further enhanced the system to handle a broad range of advanced materials, including thermoplastic commingled preforms created via tailored fiber placement — an additive manufacturing technology for automated composite preforms using commingled thermoplastic fibers — as well as thermoplastic woven and nonwoven fabrics.

The TP Multi-Station Line’s core innovations include:

• Simultaneous operation of multiple heating and cooling stations for optimized throughput.
• Adaptive tooling geometries, achieving production of parts in various sizes and configurations.
• Significant operation cost savings and reduced energy consumption.

Together, these technological breakthroughs demonstrate AIM and U3D’s efforts to drive efficiency, scalability and material versatility.   

In addition, U3D’s facility in Varese serves as a dedicated testing and data hub thanks to the use of a dedicated multi-station R&D setup. The process recipes refined at this location can then be transferred to AIM, where they are fine-tuned for mass production on the company’s TP Multi-Station Lines.

Coming soon will be a detailed technical article that will explore the distinct advantages and complementary nature of the Spidui Molding Cell and the TP Multi-Station Line.