US-built aerospace 3D printer gets graphene filament with 50% higher impact strength

A US-built 3D printing system designed to manufacture aerospace-grade parts wherever they are needed is getting a materials upgrade that could make printed components lighter and stronger. Supermaterial developer Lyten has partnered with US 3D printer manufacturer Modovolo to integrate its graphene-enhanced PA1205 filament into the BFP, a modular and transportable large-format 3D printing platform built for aviation, industrial, motorsports, and defense applications. The companies say the combination supports domestic manufacturing while reducing dependence on overseas supply chains. Modular manufacturing expands Modovolo originally developed the BFP platform after struggling to find a US-built 3D printer that could produce aerospace-grade components quickly and affordably for its own drone program. The result was a containerized, modular system that customers can transport and deploy almost anywhere. Instead of shipping parts from centralized factories, operators can manufacture large, high-performance components closer to where they are needed while meeting aerospace quality requirements. Justin Call, Modovolo’s CEO and co-founder, said the company tested numerous high-performance materials before selecting Lyten’s filament. “Lyten’s PA1205 enables us to print stronger and lighter parts while maintaining a better print finish and speed,” Call said. He added that the material has become an important part of the company’s product roadmap. The platform targets industries that require large and complex parts, including aviation, automotive, industrial machinery, and defense. Graphene improves materials The partnership centers on Lyten’s PA1205, a nylon-based filament enhanced with the company’s proprietary 3D Graphene technology. According to Lyten, the material delivers double the X-Y tensile strength of comparable carbon fiber-based filaments. It also offers 40% higher Z-axis tensile strength and 50% greater impact resistance. The company says the filament prints faster, resists warping, and maintains dimensional accuracy during production. Those characteristics make it suitable for lightweight structural parts where strength and consistency are critical. Dan Cook, Lyten’s CEO and co-founder, said the company aims to prove advanced manufacturing materials can be sourced and produced domestically without sacrificing performance. “Our goal is to prove better performing, better priced products can be both sourced and manufactured locally,” Cook said. He added that the company’s graphene technology gives manufacturers greater flexibility in how they design products and build supply chains. Drone program paved way The companies have already worked together for more than a year. Modovolo has used Lyten’s filament since 2025 to manufacture components for its Lift Quadcopter-X drone, a lightweight aircraft built for commercial, emergency response, and defense missions. That experience gave Modovolo confidence to expand the relationship beyond drones and into large-format manufacturing. Call said BFP evolved from an internal production tool into an industrial platform capable of supporting distributed manufacturing. Pairing it with Lyten’s advanced filament, he said, allows modular production sites to manufacture aviation- and industrial-grade components almost anywhere they are needed. Lyten and Modovolo plan to showcase the integrated platform at the Civil-Military Innovation Institute, the Northern Strike exercises, and other aerospace and motorsports events later this year.Recommended ArticlesGet the latest in engineering, tech, space & science - delivered daily to your inbox.Aamir is a seasoned tech journalist with experience at Exhibit Magazine, Republic World, and PR Newswire. With a deep love for all things tech and science, he has spent years decoding the latest innovations and exploring how they shape industries, lifestyles, and the future of humanity.