Caracol 3D printing supports Stratospheric Gondola project

Through the framework of the Europe-based DeremCo initiative, LFAM specialist Caracol and partners from the composites industry have developed a stratospheric gondola prototype designed to house communication, navigation, and power systems on long-duration stratospheric missions. Caracol’s Heron AM robotic 3D printer was employed to create a master model of the gondola to be used for carbon fiber mold fabrication.

The overall goal of the project was to demonstrate how sustainable composite materials and advanced manufacturing solutions can produce more lightweight and more efficient aerospace structures. The success of the project, as Caracol says, “represents a key milestone in applying circular economy principles to high-performance composite production.”

The collaborative stratospheric gondola project saw Caracol develop printing parameters for the production of the device’s master model. Notably—and in line with DeremCO’s mission statement—this model was printed from ABS + 20% recycled carbon fiber derived from end-of-life wind blades (supplied by Carbon Cleanup). The 3D printing was carried out by design and prototyping company Torino Crea, which used its Heron LFAM system (with HV extruder) and the parameters set by Caracol to bring the 70 kg structure to life. In the end, the printing process took 10 hours to complete for the 790 x 420 x 390 mm master model.

Following printing, the master model of the gondola was CNC machined to achieve the exact tolerances required for composite lamination. Mold fabrication using the 3D printed master model was completed by composites company Acus, who then teamed up with manufacturer Involve to create five gondola prototypes using carbon and glass fiber composites. In the end, the project partners developed a fully validated prototype of the stratospheric gondola for Italian aerospace company Involve Space, which can progress towards further industrialization.

By turning to large-format additive manufacturing for the production of the master model, the composite partners behind the gondola project saw several benefits, including a lead time reduction of 75%, a cost reduction of 55%, and a weight reduction of 85%. “The validated prototype confirms Caracol’s Heron AM technology as a key enabler for efficient, sustainable, and high-precision composite production in next-generation aerospace systems,” Caracol added.

Caracol’s LFAM technology has been behind a number of other sustainably minded projects, including THE CAB, a monolithic 3D printed RV made from recycled materials, and a 3D printed furniture collection made from recycled and eco-friendly materials that was showcased at Milan Design Week 2025.