Custom Thermoplastic Composites for Global Solutions
Imagine lightweight, strong, and extremely durable engineered thermoplastic composites that can be processed into complex shapes that outperform the most expensive composites... Imagine materials that provide a lighter alternative to metals and can be easily recycled... Imagine materials that enable sustainable mobility...
At LOFITH Composites, we don't just imagine them, we've made them a reality.
About us
LOFITH Composites is a company specialized in the formulation and manufacture of long fibre thermoplastic composites (Long fibre reinforced pellets and UD-tapes). It emerges as a spin-off, result of the effort and research capacity of AIMPLAS, Technological Institute of Plastics, which has allowed the development of a proprietary technology with its own manufacturing system and differentiated from the market, added to the technical capacity for the advanced formulation of thermoplastic materials.
LOFITH Composites was born with the aspiration to become a leader in the manufacture and development of innovative long-fiber thermoplastic composite solutions, offering products of the highest quality that exceed the expectations of our customers. We are committed to driving efficiency, sustainability and performance across a wide range of industries, contributing to progress and excellence in the composite world of the future.
Products & Services
Long-fibre thermoplastic composites are high-performance materials that have the advantage of their higher production rate and recyclability, compared to traditional thermoset composites, maintaining or improving the functional characteristics (mechanical, fire resistance, conductivity, etc.) required by high-performance sectors such as aerospace or the automotive industry
LFT
LFTs are composites based on thermoplastic matrix reinforced with long fibers, usually glass, carbon or aramid, dispersed evenly in a thermoplastic matrix. This combination of long fibers and thermoplastic matrix gives LFTs superior mechanical properties compared to conventional plastic materials.
In LFT pellets, the long fibers provide strength and stiffness, while the thermoplastic matrix provides versatility and ease of processing. The fiber length in LFTs is longer than in short fiber-reinforced plastic composites, allowing for better load transfer between fibers and higher tensile and impact strength.
LFTs are used in a wide range of applications in various industries, including automotive, aeronautics, rail, sports, and recreation, among others. The most common applications for LFTs include structural components, thus meeting the demanding mechanical requirements of the industry.
The advantages of LFTs include an excellent strength-to-weight ratio, high impact and fatigue resistance, good chemical and environmental resistance, as well as the ability to be processed using injection molding, extrusion, and compression molding techniques.
UD-TAPES
UD-tapes are unidirectional tapes of continuous fibre impregnated by a thermoplastic matrix. In this type of material, unidirectional fibers have a format that allows their automatic deposition using in-situ consolidation techniques. The use of UD-tapes allows the free orientation of the layers on their longitudinal axis and they have the versatility to orient each of the layers in those orientations where the mechanical requirements are more demanding. This allows the mechanical properties of the tape to be maximized in the direction of the fibers, providing high strength and rigidity in that direction.
Arrays such as polypropylene (PP), polyamide (PA) and ethylene polyrephthalate (PET) are some of the most commonly used. This thermoplastic matrix provides cohesion and adhesion to the fibers and allows UD-tapes to be processed by in-situ consolidation techniques using AFP (AutomatedFiberPlacement) or ATL (AutomatedTape Laying) technologies.
UD-tapes are used in a variety of applications where high resistance in a specific direction is required, such as structural components located in demanding sectors such as aeronautics and aerospace.
Our Offer
LOFITH UD PETrCF
Recycled Polyethylene Polytephthalate (PETr) UD-tape from post-consumer bottles, reinforced with continuous carbon fiber.
LOFITH UD PET-CF
UD-tape Continuous carbon fiber reinforced virgin polyethylene ethylene (PET) polytephthalate.
LOFITH UD PPrCF-CNT
Recycled Polypropylene (PPr) UD-tape of industrial origin, reinforced with continuous carbon fiber.
LOFITH UD PP-CF-CNT
Continuous carbon fibre reinforced virgin polypropylene (PP) UD-tape.
LOFITH UD PArCF
Industrial-sourced recycled polyamide (PAr) UD-tape, reinforced with continuous carbon fiber.
LOFITH UD PA-CF
Virgin Polyamide (PAr) reinforced UD-tape with continuous carbon fiber.
TAILOR-MADE FORMULATIONS
At LOFITH Composites, we offer our customers all our technical capabilities to adapt LFT or UD-Tapes formulations and adjust them to the particular needs of each application, thus being able to achieve thermoplastic composites with advanced properties such as electrical and/or thermal conductivity, flame retardancy or electromagnetic shielding, among others.
The flexibility provided by the know-how and the exclusive manufacturing method developed allow LOTIFH Composites to obtain recycled, recyclable and/or biodegradable materials, making infinite combinations of thermoplastic matrices (synthetic, recycled and bio) with fibers of all kinds (conventional and natural)
Applications
The applications of LOFITH composites can be found in various industries related to mobility and the transport sector such as automotive, aeronautics and aerospace, railways, etc. Their structural use also allows us to find them as a support in industries such as energy (hydrogen storage systems) or construction.
Its main benefits are:
- Low weight
- High mechanical strength without losing ductility: The incorporation of long fibres allows high rigidity to be obtained, without compromising impact resistance as is the case with reinforcement with short fibres.
- Adaptable to different manufacturing processes: injection, compression or automatic fiber deposition.
- Short manufacturing cycle times allow for high production volumes.
- Combination with other materials composing lower-cost hybrid materials according to the requirements of each part: over molding, compression, and welding are examples of processes that can be used for the formation of hybrid solutions.
- Circular economy: the advantage of thermoplastic composites over traditional thermosets is that they are easily recyclable. In addition, a biodegradable polymer can be used as a matrix and even as a reinforcing fiber, having a totally sustainable solution.
