Automated Fiber Placement (AFP) is a composite manufacturing process in which a robot lays down composite tape to build a composite laminate one tow at a time. AFP is interesting to SAM XL because it produces complex, lightweight structures.

Continuous Ultrasonic Welding (CUW) is a new thermoplastic composite welding process which uses ultrasonic vibrations to generate heat to melt the interface between two laminates, welding them together.