SBIR Phase I: A novel non-textile fabric and assembly method

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to industrialize a radically new laminar material to demonstrate the value of non-textile but flexible fabric for a variety of different commercial applications. This new material has no fibers and requires no weaving or knitting. Instead, it uses hard and rigid ?elements? - digitally precise shapes of polymers, ceramics or metals - that are simultaneously formed and hinged together in a rapid process called ?Direct Forming,? - a close relative of 3-D printing. Thus, even though the individual elements are hard and tough, and therefore extremely durable, the way these elements are hinged together creates flexibility that allows the new material to conform to rounded or irregularly shaped surfaces like leathers and textiles do. Once this research establishes the optimum hinge configurations, the Grantee intends to be the first in the marketplace with this technology, concentrating on the technical textiles segment for applications where standard textiles, such as ballistic nylon, canvas, or woven fibers cannot meet requirements. This Phase I project is to conduct the engineering and testing of the exact hinging structures that will allow the new material to exceed tensile and impact strength standards for specific target markets, such as commercial seating. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes the initially targeted $180 million annual commercial seating textile market. Transportation, consumer products, architecture and civil engineering uses are some of the over 400 applications in over 16 industry sectors also identified. But even more important is the manufacturing process referred to as ?Direct Forming.? When fully industrialized, it will localize the production of high performance, robust technical textiles, stemming the trend of offshoring upholstery textile production. This will allow the U.S. to recapture the production of complete parts now lost to overseas cut and sew operations. The direct forming process will severely undercut the true costs of offshoring mass-produced items, and its attendant material waste and extensive use of hydrocarbon fuel associated with international shipping and warehousing. Direct forming will bring about a different industrial model, ?mass customization,? that along with 3-D printing will revolutionize the way thousands of parts and materials will be manufactured in the very near future. Computers will form textiles and other products exactly to manufacturer specifications in a single ?additive? process, rather than manufacturing pieces from a larger bolt or hunk of polymer or metal in more wasteful ?subtractive? processes.