Reduce Lead Times for Prototypes by 50 Percent

Additive Manufacturing Reduce Lead Times for Prototypes by 50 Percent

2026-06-26 Source: Greene Tweed | Translated by AI 1 min Reading Time

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Greene Tweed has developed a rapid prototyping process for its material Xycomp DLF, which reduces lead times for prototypes by half, helping customers move faster from concept to testing phase.

The new process significantly reduces lead times and costs while expanding access to high-performance composite materials in new markets, including Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and the defense industry.(Image: Greene Tweed) — The new process significantly reduces lead times and costs while expanding access to high-performance composite materials in new markets, including Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and the defense industry.
(Image: Greene Tweed)

Xycomp DLF components are high-performance thermoplastic composites developed as a replacement for metals, offering weight savings, stiffness, and strength. The process developed by Greene Tweed reduces prototype lead times by nearly 50 percent compared to traditional production methods. This is achieved through a proprietary approach that optimizes tool design and the balance between machine and net shape parts while ensuring production-ready material and part properties. The result is faster access to functional components with lower tooling lead costs and greater design flexibility before production begins.

This process shortens the time to evaluate Xycomp composite materials in practical applications by providing engineers with production-quality parts in a fraction of the time.

George Rawa, General Manager of the Structural & Engineered Components division at Greene Tweed

The key innovations behind Greene Tweed's breakthrough in rapid prototyping include:

1. Optimized Mold Design: A combination of machined and net-shape components reduces the complexity of tool manufacturing and accelerates production.

2. Optimized Parallel Processing: The simultaneous finalization of part, tool, and fixture designs significantly shortens overall project timelines.

3. In-House Expertise: A hands-on approach ensures maximum precision and quality, allowing mold assembly to be completed within just one to two days.

4. Rapid, Cost-Effective Iteration: Customers can test, refine, and optimize their components through step-by-step evaluations using cost-efficient, easily adaptable tooling.

Rapid prototyping helps expand the use of composite materials in aerospace, advanced air mobility (AAM), defense, mobile robotics, and energy sectors, as demand for lightweight, durable components increases. In the AAM sector, customers use Xycomp DLF components for lightweight, customized applications in electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.

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