KraussMaffei will present its expertise in composites at JEC World in Paris (10–12 March 2026, Hall 6, Booth D51). The booth will feature, among others, composite sandwich underbody shields, an LED-illuminated vehicle front panel, and high-temperature components and blanks produced by 3D printing from PEEK, PESU and PEI. The specially developed high-performance printCore extruder, which forms the heart of the additive manufacturing systems, will also be on display. In the field of lightweight construction and surface quality, KraussMaffei combines reaction process engineering, additive technologies and injection molding, and is the only company in the sector that develops complete production lines in-house. This enables the implementation of optimized project solutions for a wide range of applications, from development through to series production.
Individual technology solutions for a range of applications
In the construction sector, where steel is increasingly being replaced by corrosion-resistant and thus more durable materials, pultrusion of fiber-reinforced profiles gains particular importance. An example is concrete reinforcement, which will be presented at the booth. Pultruded profiles from the production lines of KraussMaffei subsidiary Pultrex also provide solutions for renewable energy, in particular for solar and wind power plants. These components are lightweight, durable and able to withstand high loads.
The exhibition will also include a complex cladding component for commercial vehicles produced using the long fiber injection (LFI) process. This technology is intended for large-format structural parts. Cut glass fibers are coated with polyurethane PUR and then pressed in the mold to form the part. The LFI process combines cost efficiency for small production series with a wide range of surface design options, including deep-drawn films or leather-like surfaces.
In the underbody protection system presented at the booth, an LFI panel forms the core, which is then wrapped in glass fiber mats, coated with the matrix and again pressed in the mold. The result is a very lightweight and torsion-resistant large-format sandwich component. This solution complements the composite battery housing for electric vehicles produced using the high-pressure RTM process, which was shown at the previous edition of JEC. The KraussMaffei team uses additive processes to develop such structures, as 3D printing enables efficient production of large-format, thin-walled components. The resulting prototypes and functional models allow early validation of design and process. Geometries can be modified quickly, components pre-dimensioned and development times significantly reduced.
Underbody protection as an example of composite solutions from KraussMaffei.
In electric vehicles, a large air intake in the radiator area is no longer required, which opens up the possibility of completely redesigning the front end. One example is the solution referred to as the "radiator grille 2.0" with integrated radar and vision electronics. The surface plays a key role here, as it must be highly resistant to stone chipping and everyday operational loads. The ColorForm process, in which the component is coated with a self-healing PUR layer after injection molding, provides the right conditions for meeting these requirements. In this case KraussMaffei supplies the complete production cell from a single source.
Additive manufacturing with high-temperature plastics
The KraussMaffei Additive Manufacturing division develops large-format 3D printing solutions that enable processing of high-temperature plastics such as PEI, PESU and PPS. Components produced with the powerPrint Flex and powerPrint Plus systems are intended for technical applications in aerospace, automotive, model and mold making, and energy technology. At the booth, an extruder and selected additively manufactured large-format components will be presented to illustrate the technological capabilities, material expertise and application range of these solutions.
The powerPrint Plus and powerPrint Flex systems address the requirements of efficient industrial additive manufacturing. At the core of both solutions is the printCore extruder developed by KraussMaffei, which enables processing at temperatures up to 400 °C and covers a very wide throughput range from a few hundred grams per hour to 70 kg/h. This allows both precise, thin-walled structures and large components to be produced in stable pre-series and series processes.
The powerPrint Plus system with its fixed, thermally insulated build chamber creates favorable conditions for general 3D printing. Precise extrusion control ensures reproducible part quality, high material efficiency and reliable processing of engineering plastics and highly filled thermoplastics.
powerPrint Flex is characterized by maximum modularity. The system can be adapted to specific projects and, in addition to the additive process, can integrate milling operations, additional axes or rotary tables. This makes it particularly suitable for complex applications, hybrid manufacturing strategies and customized component geometries, in which 3D printing and mechanical post-processing are combined in a single cell.
The heart of the powerPrint Flex and powerPrint Plus additive manufacturing systems.
Additive processing of high-temperature plastics requires detailed knowledge of material properties, including thermal behavior. KraussMaffei brings this expertise to all projects and, as a service partner, also supports its customers in material qualification.
Complete systems from concept to series production
KraussMaffei offers complete system solutions for all technologies and applications presented, from component optimization through system and process development to ongoing series production. During JEC, KraussMaffei experts will be available to visitors to discuss individual requirements and select optimal process solutions.
