<p>In the drive to accelerate new product development and time to market, the pressure to validate a design can be intense. With a prototype of a product or component, designers’ finally move designs from the screen to physical objects that can be handled. Does it fit? Will it function as intended? Can a 3D printed part be manufactured by injection moulding? And—in the case of prototype products, rather than parts—what might potential customers think of it? Increasingly, smart manufacturers—and their design teams—are looking ahead, past the prototyping phase of the product design process, and are thinking in terms of the end product and its required performance characteristics.<a name="first" target="_blank"></a></p><h2>Right first time</h2><h2><a data-lightbox="/media/1015734/lifecycle-inforgraphic2.png" data-title="" href="https://www.protolabs.co.uk/media/1015734/lifecycle-inforgraphic2.png" target="_blank"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEzMDMyNDc0OTMyLTE2MTMwMzI0NzQ5MzIucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 300px;"></a></h2><p>In product development, parts or products generally move through three phases of evolution: first, prototyping; second, low-volume production; then third—and final—serial production.</p><p>Prototyping is about crystallising a proven, working design. A prototype can be one of several (or many) such iterations, or just a final one-off physical validation of an on-screen design before design sign-off. On the other hand, low-volume production is less about the product itself, and more about its market or production process: a phase of low-volume production can help to refine a manufacturing process, or alternatively get test products or launch products to market in order to gain and validate customer perceptions. Finally, the precise volumes that are associated with serial production will depend on the product itself, and its market, and will typically range from thousands each year, to millions each year.</p><p>In each case, the goal at each stage is to move smoothly from each phase of development to the next, refining the product and its manufacturability. Overall, the objective is to minimise the total time and cost of the overall process, bringing a product from initial concept to serial production smoothly and efficiently, and as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.</p><p>In some industries bringing a product to market involves extensive compliance testing, often involving third-party certification. Aerospace and defence product development, for instance, calls for such compliance, and no manufacturer will want to finalise a product design and get ready for serial production, only to discover that the product in question does not meet its design requirements in terms of durability, usage cycles, or some other testable attribute. Making use of the prototyping stage to carry out such testing—a process known as pre-compliance testing—is therefore prudent. In such circumstances, it makes excellent sense for a designer to seek guidance from the prototyping provider in order to use a prototyping material that will yield meaningful information on attributes such as strength, flexibility and durability.</p><p>Finally, as well as these development and testing stages of bring a product to market, a manufacturer may wish the prototyping and development process of a product to take into account a number of broader business considerations.</p><p>Decisions about packaging, for instance, can impact packaging cost, vulnerability to damage during shipment, and the cubic utilisation of both primary and secondary packaging. Ultimately, of course, cubic utilisation will affect vehicle and container requirements, as well as shipping cost. It can be prudent to, wherever possible, use product prototypes in order to inform packaging decisions as early as is practicable.</p><p>Similarly, a business may have sustainability and branding objectives in addition to those impacted by packaging and shipping utilisation. A decision to use a particular means of packaging, for instance, may again impact damage statistics, or product aesthetics during a long shelf-life. An objective of using high levels of reclaimed plastic may not prove practical when injection moulding a specific part. And sourcing both prototypes and production parts over long distances will impact a business’s carbon footprint, as well as drive costs higher.</p><p><a name="prototyping" target="_blank"></a>Quality, reliability, and business resilience are other important considerations. These are generally trade-offs: the cheapest prototyping provider will not usually be the fastest, or produce the highest-quality prototypes, for instance. Maintaining a close business relationship with a prototyping provider is becoming a strategic consideration for many businesses; value is placed on sourcing a recommended manufacturer as an outsource partner with the ability to satisfy prototype needs, plus low- and medium-volume product requirements. These suppliers provide the support that fully understands the need for DFM (design for manufacture) and are key to smoothing the way.</p><p>In short, successfully bringing a new product to market can call for a multi-faceted approach to design and development, embracing a wide range of issues, priorities, and trade-offs. In this paper we look at how an intelligent approach to prototyping strategy at each phase of the development process can help with this. The objective: an approach to prototyping that shortens overall development time, and brings to market a better product with a better performance, and at a lower overall development cost.</p><h1><a href="https://get.protolabs.co.uk/prototype-to-production-whitepaper/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=uk-white-paper-0221&utm_content=prototype-to-production-0221" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Continue reading -&gt;</strong></a></h1>

Manufacturing throughout the product life cycle

From Prototype to Production

<p>Testing and <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">prototyping</a> is a crucial part of the design process. For products manufactured using injection molding, the prototyping phase has its own set of challenges. Due to the high cost of creating molds, prototypes are often produced in another material, the design and form and iterated, before the final high-cost molds are crafted. Even if cost wasn’t an issue, getting an injection molded prototype can take months from initial idea to holding a prodcuct in your hand. This extremely long lead time stalls the design process and delays time to market.</p><p><a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials</a> has developed a prototyping and manufacturing process that allows functional, material-accurate prototypes to be produced quickly at a considerable reduction in traditional injection molding manufacturing costs. The process involves two overlapping chapters. The first is engineering support that elevates the existing design through an intensive design evaluation and improvement process. The second is the prototyping stage at which the design is further iterated through real-world testing.</p><h1>Chapter 1: Engineering Support</h1><h2>Stage one: Assessing technical and commercial viability</h2><p>The first step is the conceptual design phase. This involves close collaboration with the product designers to identify the technologies that are best suited to the part or product that will allow them to deliver a commercially viable product. Once a clear definition and a thorough understanding of the application are understood, the product moves into stage two.</p><h2>Stage Two: Collaborative design engineering</h2><p>Stage two centers around collaborative design engineering. Many KyronMAX® users are exploring opportunities to shift from existing metal design to a carbon fiber based composite solution. Making this move can be beneficial for many reasons, including lightweighting, particularly in transportation applications or moving parts (like robotic arms and grippers), reducing carbon footprint, and reducing manufacturing costs. To successfully exchange metal for a compound material, the design must be comprehensively evaluated to take optimal advantage of the new material’s properties. Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials engineers bring extensive expertise in the polymers and composite space. They can offer valuable insight for customers into materials and modeling simulation to really improve their design and meet the desired cost and produce ability targets.</p><h1>Chapter two: Prototyping and batch part testing</h1><h2>Stage Three: Rapid Prototyping</h2><p>This stage sees the customer’s designs come to life. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials SPRINT (Soluble Printed Injection Tooling) technology uses 3D printed molds that are later rinsed off the injection molded part using a solvent. The technology is based on AddiFab’s Freeform Injection Molding (FIM). The SPRINT process encourages designers to test <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">designs quickly and accurately</a>, which speeds up the development process and can help bring products to market faster. The SPRINT process works specifically in conjunction with the KyronMAX® &nbsp;range of high strength carbon fiber-based composites.</p><p>SPRINT accelerates the design cycle by reducing the number of iterations in the design process. Many of the common prototyping processes that are available today provide engineers with quick access and some insight into the basic form and fit aspects of their design, but the SPRINT process provides customers with prototypes from the technologies that the final product will be produced from. Because the prototypes are produced using real injection molding its performance is representative of the final application so this means that the prototype parts can be fully functionally tested in the application’s environment.</p><p><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable fr-active" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/q_IwE8YeO4g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 767px; height: 438px;"></iframe></span><br>&nbsp;This is a critical step in really linking the design with performance and getting products to market faster. Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials aim to build relations with each of its customers and offer a full suite of the capabilities needed to provide the right material solution, the engineering know-how and analytics, and the prototyping services that are necessary to translate these concepts into real solutions. The SPRINT process opens the doors to designers and creators who would otherwise be unlikely to have the ability to use injection molding as a prototype material.</p><p>The expertise of the team also means customers in the final phase of their product can get assistance in commercialization. Where relevant, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials can fulfill actual part production as a certified supplier and manufacturing partner. Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials also has expertise located regionally in the U.S, Europe, and Asia so customers can get immediate and global access to the knowledge and support they need along their development journey.</p><h2>The SPRINT technology in detail</h2><p>Once the part’s design is ready, it’s time to start prototyping using the SPRINT (Soluble Printed Injection Tooling) technology, based on AddiFab’s Freeform Injection Molding (FIM).<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjExOTE1NjA2OTExLUt5cm9uTUFYIHBsYXRmb3JtIHN0ZXBzLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h2>Step 1: 3D Print the mold</h2><p>The mold for the part is built as a 3D model and printed using a 3D printer. This mold <s>has</s> can have steel pins inserted into it to stabilize the mold during the injection. The mold is also placed inside a metal frame for further stabilization. Even metal inserts, like screw threads can be included directly and overmolded.</p><h2>Step 2: Inject the mold</h2><p>The mold is injected with the selected KyronMAX® material using standard injection molding machinery. The injected mold is removed from the machine and inspected.</p><h2>Step 3: Retrieve the part</h2><p>The 3D mold is then washed off the molded part using a solvent. Once the solvent is removed, the part is inspected and ready for testing!</p><p>This process can be repeated multiple times to iterate a design. In some cases, multiple cavities are injected at once with different designs to shorten the design cycle even further. As the cost and speed of printing the mold are very low, the benefits of engaging in a more hands-on design iteration process are very high. As the prototype is molded in the exact material of the final product the prototyping process allows for iteration in finish and detail of the product as well as functionality.</p><div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dii" style="width: 778px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjExOTE1OTcxNTQxLTE2MTE5MTU5NzE1NDEuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" class="fr-fic fr-dii"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">The sacrificial 3D printed mold (far left), the mold after injection (middle) the part released from the mold.</span></span></span><h1 class="fr-img-space-wrap2"><strong>The KyronMAX® Challenge</strong></h1></div><p><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" target="_blank"><strong>The KyronMAX</strong>®<strong>&nbsp;Challenge</strong></a> invites you to submit a design that utilizes KyronMAX®’s range of breakthrough, high strength carbon fiber-based composites. <strong>The winning designs will receive $25,000 worth of manufacturing support from KyronMAX® to create a fully developed prototype.</strong></p><p>Your submission can be a stand-alone product or a component of a larger design. Successful submissions will need to show how the design utilizes the unique properties of KyronMAX® materials and complements the platform’s capabilities. The KyronMAX® challenge will reward projects that prioritize sustainability while maintaining a high level of feasibility and ingenuity.</p><p>For full challenge details see <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" target="_blank">The KyronMAX® Challenge homepage.&nbsp;</a></p><div align="center"><hr size="1" width="100%" align="center"></div><h1><em>About the sponsor: <em>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials&nbsp;</em>&nbsp;</em></h1><p><em>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a broad variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.</em></p><p><em>Supporting the vision of our holding company, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1610465953419000&usg=AFQjCNFACQRncQmFf1bOAoQ_uuE9Ax8efA" href="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC)</a>, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.</em></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjExOTE2MjU0NzE1LTE2MTE5MTYyNTQ3MTUucG5nIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" class="fr-fic fr-dii">&nbsp;</p>

Photo courtesy of Sarah Goehrke, Fabbaloo.

The combination of 3D printing and injection molding creates a start-up friendly approach to fast, low-risk prototyping.

Collaborative manufacturing process delivers rapid materially accurate prototypes

<p><a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" target="_blank">KyronMAX®</a> is a range of high strength thermoplastic composite compounds from Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, specifically designed for rapid, complex high-spec injection molding. KyronMAX® is also an engineering platform where engineers collaborate with experts who understand the material, allowing prototyping to be completed within days. The KyronMAX® technology is designed to be applicable in low, medium, or high-volume parts production.&nbsp;</p><h1><strong>Stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum, and sustainably recyclable</strong></h1><p>KyronMAX® is among the most robust injection moldable products available in the world today. The series of products significantly changes the way design engineers can think of plastic materials. The unique combination of KyronMAX®’s high-pressure molding technology with advanced material technology produces high-strength structural thermoplastics that offer mechanical properties that meet, and in some comparisons, exceed those of metals.</p><p>KyronMAX® features:</p><ul><li>Light, reduced material volume required (75% lighter than steel and almost 40% lighter than aluminum).</li><li>Easily processable (can be molded using the same equipment and tooling as standard or unfilled resins).</li><li>Compounds can be customized to meet application requirements, in addition to standard, readily available product offerings.</li><li>Retains high strength in complex part geometries (with multiple knit lines), where traditional Long Fiber Thermoplastics struggle.</li><li>55k+ PSI tensile strength.</li><li>&lt;30% lower component cost per unit.</li><li>Metal to plastic conversions, without the cost and lead time of traditional metal tooling or penalties for multiple design changes.</li><li>Prototype parts using the same resins as production injection molded parts.</li><li>Surface finishes and features that cannot be replicated by machining or 3D printing.</li></ul><p>The KyronMAX® series of structural thermoplastic materials outperform the mechanical strength of long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) materials, especially when measuring a molded part’s performance. The material overcomes the limitations of LFT compounds while yielding stronger molded parts that are also lighter in weight.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMTA0NDExNjMzLWltYWdlMTIuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>KyronMAX® is suitable for, but not limited to applications including</p><ul><li>Automotive</li><li>Prosthetics</li><li>Drone and UAV casings</li><li>Sports and leisure equipment</li><li>Industry</li><li>Robotics</li><li>Consumer product design</li><li>Wearables</li><li>Aerospace</li></ul><p>What makes the KyronMAX® material technology unique is its short fiber technology, which means the polymer behaves more like the isotropic nature of metal and eliminates the processing and fiber breakage concerns associated with LFT compounds. The technology enables very complex parts to be molded with high mechanical performance and consistency.</p><p><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width: 800px;"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMDk2NDk5NDA4LUt5cm9uTUFYIHNob3J0IGZpYmVyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 800px;"><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false">Image 1: KyronMAX® short fiber technology versus LFT</span></span></span></p><p>Competitive structural compounds use high fiber loadings and long fiber lengths to achieve the desired mechanical performance. Unfortunately, these materials’ performance does not translate into the molded parts, due to weld line strength loss and fiber length reduction during processing.</p><p><br></p><p>In contrast, the KyronMAX® material technology outperforms other thermoplastic compounds using short fiber technology and much lower filler loadings. The lower filler content results in a tough, structural plastic that can be utilized in extremely aggressive applications yet is still processing friendly and does not require specialized molding equipment.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMDk5MDI3NjMzLUt5cm9uTUFYIHRlbnNpbGUgc3RyZW5ndGggVE0uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>The KyronMAX® platform features a range of high-strength carbon fiber-based composites that allows you to buy-off-the-shelf, top-performing materials or customize your own formulation to match your requirements. Each formulation has specific properties that make it suitable for different applications. See here how the <a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/about-kyronmax" target="_blank">KyronMAX® range compares</a> to each other and other common injection molding materials.</p><h1><strong>The KyronMAX</strong><strong><sup>Ⓡ</sup></strong><strong>&nbsp;platform</strong></h1><p>KyronMAX® is more than a material; it is also an engineering partnership. From design to functional prototype, to production and all the way through to zero waste, engineers work together with Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials to solve materials engineering challenges. The KyronMAX® collaboration happens in three phases.</p><p><strong>Phase 1</strong> - Diagnostics: content deep dive, feasibility check, AI-based business intelligence.</p><p>In this phase the overall feasibility of the project is assessed from both a materiality and business perspective.</p><p><strong>Phase 2</strong> - Design Sprint: MVP design</p><p>MVP (minimum viable product) design is a process for creating functional, production-ready products that serve to test ideas and complete a design process. Puts functional parts with true properties into customer’s hands quickly to accelerate the design cycle and lock-in material specifications.</p><p><strong>Phase 3</strong> - Delivery Sprint: functional prototype creation and testing, plus approach to recycling</p><p>SPRINT (Soluble PRinted INjection Tooling) technology means functional prototypes can be developed in just a few days. SPRINT allows for rapid injection molding of functional parts in the right material. Alongside digital twinning, it means real world designs can be tested quickly and accurately, shortening design timelines and meeting production deadlines faster.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>SPRINT combines the speed and agility of 3D printing with the accuracy of injection molding. Unlike other injection molding processes, the KyronMAX® SPRINT can produce material accurate prototypes in just days rather than weeks. A 3D Resin mold is first 3D printed, this is then injected with the chosen polymer. The resin is then ‘washed’ away to reveal the prototype part.</p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzU5NzYwNTk2LTEuMS0wMS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p>Throughout the three-stage journey, KyronMAX® experts support engineering teams on:</p><ul><li>Material selection</li><li>Part design</li><li>Test and production of functional prototype with SPRINT (Soluble PRinted INjection Tooling) technology</li><li>Setup of production scale up plan</li><li>Assessment of the project’s recycling possibilities in order to create zero waste</li></ul><p>Designers and engineers working with KyronMAX® are supported throughout the whole process from ideation to final product no matter if the project is a small-batch prototype or fully commercial product. Read more about the collaborative KyronMAX® platform h<a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/working-with-us" target="_blank">ere</a>.</p><h1><strong>A new standard in sustainability</strong></h1><p>KyronMAX® injection moldable composites can be returned to create zero waste using their end-of-life recycling program, while their vertically integrated and closed-loop supply chain is key to all KyronMAX® engineering partnerships. Their commitment to sustainability goes beyond simple recycling their materials and minimizing their impact. KyronMAX® uses digital twins to test new ideas, their focus on small batch prototyping means their entire production process is further designs to minimize waste and maximize speed to market.</p><p>The key advantages to this focus on sustainability includes:</p><ul><li>Faster production lowers overall energy costs while lightweight formulations reduce the overall manufacturing footprint as well as and improves fuel economy, energy use and longevity in applications from aviation to robotics.</li><li>The KyronMAX® tailor-made injection moldable carbon-fiber composite compounds can be reused and returned to create zero waste using our end of life recycling program.&nbsp;</li></ul><p>The production process allows for any scrap, waste, or unused products to be taken back and recycled without down cycling.</p><h2>Light weighting and metal replacement</h2><p>Plastic replacement of metal generally offers advantages to designs, including the potential to be lighter, cheaper, or more quickly produced. However, most high-strength moldable plastics are nowhere near the strength of metals so the metal part geometry must be altered and re-engineered to utilize plastic materials. This often involves adding more material volume of the plastic which can increase the weight and cost of the part. Thanks to KyronMAX®’s high strength properties and complex geometries, component design can more easily replicate the original metal design, reducing material volume while realizing all the benefits of the plastic material.</p><p>A great example is the KyronMAX® #10-32 bolt that responds to multiple requests from OEMs for an injection moldable thermoplastic composite bolt that exhibits metal-like strength. These end-users were looking for a plastic fastener to replace traditional titanium metal fasteners for weight savings but could not find a polymer with enough mechanical performance, or that was economically viable. The KyronMAX® #10-32 bolt meets both the strength and the cost target requirements for the application while reducing the weight of incumbent titanium bolts by approximately 60%! Read more about KyronMAX®'s commitment to full life-cycle sustainability <a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.&nbsp;</a></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzc0NDEzMDE4LUt5cm9uTUFYIGJhbm5lci5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><h1><strong>The KyronMAX</strong><strong><sup>Ⓡ</sup></strong><strong>&nbsp;Challenge</strong></h1><p><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>The KyronMAX</strong>®<strong>&nbsp;Challenge</strong></a> invites you to submit a design that utilizes KyronMAX®’s range of breakthrough, high strength carbon fiber-based composites to solve an engineering or manufacturing challenge. <strong>The winning designs will receive $25,000 worth of manufacturing support from KyronMAX® to create a fully developed prototype.</strong></p><p>Your submission can be a stand-alone product or a component of a larger design. Successful submissions will need to show how the design utilizes the unique properties of KyronMAX® materials and complements the platform’s capabilities. The KyronMAX® challenge will reward projects that prioritize sustainability while maintaining a high level of feasibility and ingenuity.</p><p>For full challenge details see <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><u>The KyronMAX</u>®<u>&nbsp;Challenge homepage.</u><u>&nbsp;</u></a></p><hr><h1><em>About the sponsor:</em></h1><p><em>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a broad variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.</em></p><p><em>Supporting the vision of our holding company, <u><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1610465953419000&usg=AFQjCNFACQRncQmFf1bOAoQ_uuE9Ax8efA" href="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank" title="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html">Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC)</a></u>, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.</em></p><p><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzc5ODcyNzM3LWxvZ28gZm9vdGVyIE1DQU0uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"></p><p><br></p>

prototyping

Latest Posts

From Prototype to Production

Collaborative manufacturing process delivers rapid materially accurate prototypes

New manufacturing platform combines agility of 3D printing with strength of injection molding for rapid prototyping