Why LFAM / Robotic large-format additive manufacturing
Complex forms. Fewer barriers.
Make the form you need. Not just the form conventional production allows.
LFAM brings robotic 3D printing to the scale of furniture, products, and architecture. It turns digital geometry into physical pieces without shape-specific production molds—opening a practical route to complex forms, distinctive surfaces, and low-to-medium-volume production.
Built up. Not carved away.
Complexity can be
the starting point.
A pellet-fed extruder melts the polymer, while a robotic arm guides the material along a programmed path, building the piece layer by layer. Instead of cutting a shape out of a solid block or making a mold around it, we design the material’s path through the object.
That changes what is practical: flowing surfaces, hollow sections, integrated ribs, open meshes, and textures that are part of the geometry—not decoration added afterward.
The opportunity is not simply to reproduce a conventional object. It is to design something better suited to its use, its setting, and its production volume.
Explore the furniture collection at Decibel Editions.
01 / Design freedom
Keep the curve.
Lose the tooling burden.
Organic forms can follow efficient, continuous print paths. Cavities, ribs, and printable lattices open up geometry that a cutting tool cannot readily reach, or that would otherwise demand split tooling and additional assembly.
02 / Speed to production
Large parts.
A shorter route to making.
Suitable large components can print in hours. Without waiting for a production mold, approved designs can move directly into fabrication—supporting time-sensitive installations and production closer to when pieces are needed.
03 / Better-fit volumes
Custom without
mass-production minimums.
LFAM fills the gap where one-off fabrication becomes difficult to repeat, but a production mold and a large minimum order do not make commercial sense. Its strength is low-to-medium volumes of distinctive, high-value pieces.
04 / Purposeful construction
Material where it works.
Not everywhere.
Hollow forms and designed internal supports can reduce weight and material compared with a solid equivalent. Connections, component divisions, and stiffness are developed around the application—not left until installation.
05 / A design that can evolve
Change the file.
Not the mold.
Adapt dimensions, patterns, and configurations between runs without replacing shape-specific tooling. Real-world use can inform the next version, with affected details and performance revalidated before production.
06 / Material choice
A different material story.
Designed into the piece.
Explore recycled and bio-based formulations, project-specific colors, and custom material development. Select for useful life and the intended environment, with the material’s origin and end-of-life route considered together.
LFAM has its own design rules: bead size, overhangs, orientation, cooling, and connections matter. We develop geometry for those rules rather than promise that every shape is printable or every complex form is faster.
The advantage, made visible
Not hypothetical.
Already in the world.
Complex geometry / Architectural scale
lululemon, Boston.
Nearly 1,200 square feet of recycled fiber-reinforced PETG mesh, developed as modular sections across three storefront bays. The open pattern, curvature, and printed ribs become one architectural system.
Explore Prudential Center →
Speed / A coordinated production run
SKYLRK at Coachella.
30 custom benches produced in two weeks for SKYLRK’s OASIS. A real example of sculptural seating moving into a coordinated run on a demanding project schedule.
Explore SKYLRK →
Brand identity / Printed into the form
lululemon, SoHo.
Custom seating with the lululemon motif carried through the printed geometry. The brand’s identity is built into the piece rather than applied as a separate finish.
Explore SoHo →The SKYLRK result is project-specific, not a standard lead time. Print time is only part of delivery: development, approvals, testing, finishing, assembly, and capacity also shape the schedule.
Choose the advantage that matters
Where LFAM changes
the equation.
Not a replacement for every process. A better option when the form, timing, or volume makes conventional production a poor fit.
Versus CNC milling
LFAM’s advantage: build hollow, organic forms instead of removing large amounts of stock. Complex surfaces and hard-to-reach features can demand extensive machining, extra setups, or separate components; an efficient print path can make a flowing form comparatively straightforward.
Choose or combine with milling when: tight interfaces, fine tolerances, or smooth machined finishes are critical. Print time depends on deposited material and toolpath—not visual complexity alone.
Versus molding & fiberglass layup
LFAM’s advantage: avoid the shape-specific production mold for direct-printed pieces. This can make low-to-medium volumes, varying geometries, and later revisions viable without spreading tooling costs over a large run.
Choose conventional production when: very high quantities, a particular surface finish, or a specified laminate justify the tooling. Printed fiber-reinforced polymers are not interchangeable with every engineered fiberglass laminate.
Versus small-format 3D printing
LFAM’s advantage: pellet-fed robotic extrusion is built for furniture-sized forms and large architectural components. It can reduce the number of small printed pieces that must be joined into a larger object.
Choose smaller systems when: very fine detail, small features, or specialist resin and powder materials matter more than scale. LFAM’s larger bead is both a design language and a detail constraint.
Versus conventional custom fabrication
LFAM’s advantage: intricate patterns, changing curves, and repeatable variations can be driven by the digital model rather than many individually cut and assembled parts. A shared design system can accommodate different sizes and settings.
Choose a hybrid approach when: the work needs timber, metal, upholstery, lighting, or precision hardware. We resolve the printed component as part of the complete piece, not as an isolated process.
Materials & finishes
Performance, expression,
and material origin.
A material should do more than look right. It should suit the way the piece will live.
Explore stone-like, wood-like, and glass-like appearances in printable polymers and composites—not solid stone, timber, or glass. Recycled and bio-based options, custom colors, and project-specific formulations are assessed against the intended use.
Stone-like
Glass-fiber-reinforced recycled PETG with a matte, stone-like texture. Our UV-stable formulation offers a direction for outdoor furniture and sculptural pieces, with suitability reviewed for the intended use.
Review exposure, temperature, loading, cleaning, and connection details for the proposed piece.
Core color palette
- Chalk White
- Graphite Grey
- Moss Green
- Saffron Yellow
- Terracotta Red
- Dusty Rose
- Sand
Custom colors available.
Our core palette is just a starting point. Share your brand palette or a color reference to explore a custom color for your project.
Wood-like
A plant-fiber-reinforced biopolymer with a lightweight, tactile, wood-like feel. A material direction for warm surfaces, integrated furniture, and expressive interior pieces.
Review moisture, heat, wear, and the intended environment. Outdoor suitability and end-of-life options require material-specific confirmation.
Core color palette
- Chalk White
- Graphite Grey
- Moss Green
- Saffron Yellow
- Terracotta Red
- Dusty Rose
- Sand
Custom colors available.
Our core palette is just a starting point. Share your brand palette or a color reference to explore a custom color for your project.
Glass-like
Translucent recycled PETG brings depth and light play to a layered surface. Indoor and outdoor applications are possible; appearance and suitability depend on color, wall geometry, exposure, and lighting.
Review the sample under the intended lighting, and confirm formulation, exposure, and heat conditions. This is a polymer finish, not architectural glazing.
Core color palette
- Emerald Green
- Sunset Orange
- Champagne
- Amber
- Smoke Grey
- Aegean Blue
- Amethyst
Custom colors available.
Our core palette is just a starting point. Share your brand palette or a color reference to explore a custom color for your project.
Develop the material around the brief.
Bring your palette and the requirements that matter: outdoor exposure, contact, wear, translucency, stiffness, or another specific need. We can explore custom material development where an existing formulation is not the right fit, with sampling and validation built into the scope.
Outdoor-ready applications start with the right formulation, design, and any required finish or testing. Recycled or bio-based content is not, by itself, evidence of weather resistance, biodegradability, or a lower whole-life impact.
Bio-based does not automatically mean biodegradable. Where biodegradability or compostability is required, the formulation, certification, and actual disposal conditions must be confirmed. Durability and a realistic recovery route remain central to material selection.
Working together
Resolve the making
without losing the idea.
- 01
Collaborate
Align on the concept, site, audience, and project goals.
- 02
Optimize
Develop geometry, materials, and the fabrication approach.
- 03
Prototype
Review form, scale, texture, and finish through physical samples.
- 04
Produce
Fabricate the approved design with our team in New Jersey.
- 05
Deliver
Coordinate finishing, shipping, and the agreed installation handoff.
We agree the development, approvals, prototypes, testing, finishing, and installation scope before production. Physical samples establish color and surface; screen colors are indicative.
For specification
Design for the conditions.
Validate what matters.
- Use & environment
- Loading, contact, wear, sunlight, heat, moisture, and cleaning. Strength and suitability depend on the formulation, print orientation, geometry, and complete assembly.
- Surface & color
- Visible layers, sheen, translucency, seams, and finish under the intended lighting. Agree the sample before the run.
- Dimensions & assembly
- Component divisions, supports, connection points, neighboring finishes, site access, and transport. Large installations can be produced as coordinated modular systems.
- Performance & documentation
- Identify fire, smoke, structural, acoustic, emissions, or other criteria early. Confirm the relevant documentation and testing for the proposed assembly.
Before you brief us.
Is LFAM right for thousands of identical parts?
That is not our focus. Its strongest commercial fit is low-to-medium-volume work where geometry, customization, tooling, and timing matter. Established mass-production processes may offer better unit economics for thousands of identical pieces.
Do we need production-ready files?
No. Bring the application, an early concept or reference, approximate dimensions, quantity, and timing. We can develop the design and production approach with you.
Can products be repeated or adapted later?
Yes. Approved digital designs support repeat batches, related configurations, and future revisions without a new shape mold. Material availability, production setup, and any revalidation are confirmed for each run.
Bring the form
you thought was too difficult.
Tell us what it needs to do, where it will live, and how many you need. We’ll assess where LFAM creates a real advantage.