Zünd and Loop Technology Showcase Digital Composite Production at CAMX 2026

Updated on August 17, 2026 • 5 min read

Zünd America and Loop Technology are showcasing integrated digital manufacturing technologies at CAMX 2026, with a focus on automated cutting, kitting, material handling and preforming for composite production.

The companies are demonstrating how connected production workflows can help manufacturers improve material utilization, reduce manual handling and maintain traceability as composite structures become larger and manufacturing volumes increase.

A key part of the presentation is Zünd’s digital cutting and kitting workflow, alongside Loop Technology’s FibreLINE automated preforming system.

Digital Cutting Starts Before Material Reaches the Cutter

Material efficiency in composite cutting depends on more than cutting speed.

Before production begins, Zünd’s digital cut-job preparation and nesting software can organize individual parts across available material while considering factors such as material defects, irregular stock shapes and specific production requirements.

The objective is to increase material utilization while reducing scrap and maintaining consistent cutting operations.

This is particularly relevant when processing carbon fiber and other higher-value composite materials, where inefficient nesting can translate directly into higher production costs.

Job and material information can also be carried through the workflow, connecting preparation, cutting and downstream handling rather than treating them as isolated production steps.

Projection System Guides Part Sorting

One technology being demonstrated at CAMX is Zünd’s Pick & Sort by Projection system.

After parts are cut, operators still need to correctly identify, remove and organize individual pieces into their respective kits. This can become challenging when a cutting job contains many geometrically similar components.

Pick & Sort by Projection uses projected visual guidance to show operators which parts should be removed and where they belong.

The approach is intended to reduce identification and sorting errors while supporting higher throughput, particularly in high-mix, low-volume composite production.

For composite manufacturers, this addresses an important part of the workflow that sits between automated cutting and subsequent layup or preforming.

FibreLINE Targets Automated Composite Preforming

Loop Technology is taking the automation concept further with its FibreLINE system.

FibreLINE is designed for high-rate manufacturing of large composite structures and automates several stages of the preforming workflow.

Large plies of carbon fiber and other composite materials can be cut, sorted and sequenced before being formed and placed into a mold for subsequent manufacturing operations.

At the center of the cutting operation is Zünd’s Aero Q-Line platform.

The machine uses a single-beam architecture and is available in modular lengths, enabling the processing of large-format composite materials without interrupting the cutting operation.

Machine-to-machine interfaces also allow the cutting platform to become part of a larger automated production cell rather than operating as standalone equipment.

Connecting Cutting With Composite Automation

The collaboration highlights a broader shift in composites manufacturing.

Automating an individual cutting operation can improve productivity, but industrial-scale composite production increasingly requires information and materials to move efficiently between multiple processes.

The workflow demonstrated by Zünd and Loop Technology connects several of these stages:

Digital job preparation → Nesting → Cutting → Part identification → Sorting and sequencing → Preforming → Mold placement

This integration can become particularly important for large composite structures where hundreds of individual plies may need to be processed and delivered in the correct sequence.

Rather than relying heavily on operators to manually identify and organize material after cutting, digital production data can remain associated with the job as it progresses through manufacturing.

Supporting Larger-Scale Composite Production

Zünd and Loop Technology’s CAMX 2026 presentation therefore extends beyond cutting equipment alone.

Their combined technologies demonstrate how digital cutting, automated kitting, material handling and preforming can be integrated into a connected production workflow.

For aerospace and other industries working with large composite structures, the potential value lies in reducing material waste and manual handling while improving production consistency and traceability.

As composite manufacturing moves toward higher production rates, connecting these individual operations may become just as important as increasing the speed of any single machine.

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This article is developed based on real engineering experience, machine testing data, and practical production knowledge from Jota Machinery’s work in advanced composite manufacturing.

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