BigRep and Endless Industries partner to industrialize large-format continuous fibre reinforcement 3D printing

BigRep has partnered with Endless Industries to integrate continuous fibre reinforcement technology into its IPSO 105 large-format 3D printing platform. The combined system, announced on May 12, 2026, targets production of mechanically reinforced parts with up to 20x higher strength versus unreinforced thermoplastics at reduced costs compared to traditional fibre placement systems. The solution features a 100°C build chamber for processing high-performance thermoplastics, Endless Industries’ proprietary Akio software for optimized fibre architecture, and is available for purchase in the DACH region from summer 2026, with global expansion through BigRep’s partner network across Europe, the US, Asia, and Australia planned through 2027–2028. BigRep CEO Thomas Janics-Jakomini and Endless Industries CEO Stephan Knopf both emphasized the two-year joint development effort that achieved technological maturity for industrial deployment.

This partnership addresses a persistent gap in polymer material extrusion: the inability to produce large-format parts with structural performance comparable to metal or traditional composites without multi-million-dollar capital equipment. The IPSO 105 platform, originally a large-format FDM/FFF system, gains a differentiated capability that competes directly with systems from Markforged (continuous fibre in desktop format), Anisoprint, and 9T Labs, but at a larger build volume. The industrial-tooling and aerospace verticals are the most immediate beneficiaries, as jigs, fixtures, and lightweight structural parts represent high-value applications where fibre-reinforced thermoplastics can replace aluminium or carbon fibre prepreg layups at lower cost and faster turnaround. The integration of Endless’ vertically integrated print head, material, and software stack into BigRep’s existing platform reduces system complexity for end users, a critical factor for moving beyond prototyping into production-grade use.

The practical test for this partnership will be whether the integrated system can achieve consistent fibre alignment and interlayer adhesion at scale, and whether the total cost per part — including material, machine time, and post-processing — undercuts incumbent composite manufacturing methods for specific use cases. BigRep must now execute on its sales and service infrastructure buildout across multiple continents, while Endless Industries needs to demonstrate that its Akio software can handle the fibre path planning complexity for the diverse geometries that industrial customers will demand. For buyers evaluating large-format composite AM, the key near-term signal will be published mechanical test data and customer case studies from the DACH launch cohort.