Northwest Aerospace News December 2018 | January 2019 Issue No. 6 | Page 16

D
ue to the disruptive nature
of CF3D™ and its unique ability to
be tailored to the customer’s applica-
tion, Continuous Composites’ strat-
egy is currently centered on funded
R&D.  By design, their clients are
not buying the technology or licens-
ing it — yet. “They are buying the
corporate resources to focus our
development efforts for CF3D™
on their objectives as it relates
to hardware, software and materials. 
As the technology matures, our
customers will be able to license
our patented CF3D™ technology and
we will transfer the CF3D™ 
technology to them, providing the
customer with a sustainable competitive
advantage,” said Alvarado.
They are also doing work in other indus-
tries including commercial automotive,
Formula One, marine, and energy.
As the moldless, Out of Autoclave
(OOA), composite manufacturing
technology is becoming more widely
known, Alvarado is being asked to speak
at international conferences about the
technology. CF3D™ is not limited to
stacking 2D plys and can discretely ori-
ent fibers in the direction of the loads to
optimize load paths. “This opens up de-
sign possibilities allowing multiple parts
to be combined into single parts, elim-
inating fasteners, and enables CF3D™
to create complex composite structures,
without molds or other support materi-
als,” said Alvarado. Colin Hambling, 26, who has a masters degree in aerospace engineering and is
moving into an operations role in the company, said that being in a tech compa-
ny like Continuous Composites means wearing a lot of hats. He indicated that
while he understands the engineering side of the business, he has also been exposed
to business development, strategy and operations.
Building a tech company with this type
of disruptive technology means the top
minds in science, software, hardware,
robotics and materials are seeking out
Continuous Composites. They are ac-
tively hiring new talent to join the team.
One of the big draws is picturesque
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho and its beach/lake
– two blocks away. A current promotional video for the company demonstrates some of the employees
wake-surfing, skateboarding and playing on the beach by the Coeur d’Alene Resort.
The video portrays a millennial work environment dream-come-true, but Hambling
said they hire top talent and the work environment of being fun and active is for
any age. “We are an active group of all ages –– ranging from the early 20s, to em-
ployees in their 50s and 60s,” Hambling said.  “No one here cares much about age;
all that matters is whether they can do their job and add to the team.”
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NORTHWEST AEROSPACE NEWS
Hambling said, “The technology and its benefits speak for themselves. I always
dreamed of working for a large aerospace, DOD or Formula One company and
now, at Continuous Composites, they’re all coming to us.” He feels that the lake
and nearby recreation will also be a big draw to incoming employees. “The area
in general and its possibilities for outdoor activities are endless — flying, fishing,
kayaking, sailing, hunting, stand-up paddleboards, mountain biking, dirt biking, and
five ski resorts within an hour and half are just some of the possibilities.”