Development and production of thin foam sheets, microsandwich composite materials and radome structures for lightweight construction and acoustics

4a manufacturing GmbH

Industriepark 1, 8772 Traboch, AustriaNew on Amplifa

2005Founded

Traboch (AT)Location

MILLIFOAM®, CIMERA®, radomesProduct families

from 0.10 mmFoam sheet thickness

Part of the 4a groupCorporate affiliation

About 4a manufacturing

4a manufacturing GmbH, based in Traboch, Austria, develops and produces thin rigid foam sheets (MILLIFOAM®), microsandwich composite materials (CIMERA®) and radome sandwich structures. The thin foam sheets are manufactured from commercial polymer blocks starting at a thickness of 0.10 mm using a proprietary cutting process without grinding and without dust, with tight tolerances; available core materials are PMI, PET, PVC, PESU and PPSU. CIMERA® microsandwiches combine a MILLIFOAM® core with facing layers of metal, polymer or fiber composite and, compared to aluminum, enable weight savings of up to 76 percent at equal bending stiffness. Radome structures for mmWave frequencies are developed entirely in-house from simulation and design through to prototype and series production. Founded in 2005, the GmbH is part of the 4a group and supplies manufacturers in the consumer electronics, automotive, aerospace and telecommunications industries worldwide.

Site: Traboch, Austria
Processes: Production of MILLIFOAM® thin foam sheets (proprietary cutting process from commercial, Production of CIMERA® microsandwich composite materials (MILLIFOAM® core with metal, polymer, Production of CIMERA® radome sandwich structures (simulation, design, prototype and, Simulation and design of radome structures (mmWave frequencies), Simulation and design, Prototype construction, Series production of radome structures (simulation, design, prototype, series production), Cutting of thin rigid foam sheets with tight tolerances (proprietary cutting process, without
Materials: PMI foam, PET foam, PVC foam, PESU foam, PPSU foam, Aluminum (comparison/facing layer material), CFRP (monolithic, as reference material), Aluminum
Certificates: ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2022, TISAX
Founded: 2005
Industries: Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Aerospace, Telecommunications (5G, Radar, SATCOM), Rail Vehicles, Marine/Shipbuilding

01
Simulation and design
02
Material selection and core material preparation (MILLIFOAM® cutting process)
03
Prototype construction
04
Sandwich composite manufacturing (CIMERA®)
05
Series production

Materials and Processes

PMI

PMI foam

Core material for thin foam sheets and microsandwich composites with high stiffness at low density.

PET

PET foam

Core material for thin rigid foam sheets with tight tolerances.

PVC

PVC foam

Core material for sandwich composites in lightweight construction applications.

PESU

PESU foam

Core material for temperature-resistant sandwich structures.

PPSU

PPSU foam

Core material for high-temperature-resistant composite applications.

Aluminum

Facing layer material for microsandwich composites; reference material for weight savings of up to 76 %.

CFRP

CFRP (fiber composite)

Facing layer material for sandwich composites and reference material with weight savings of up to 60 % at equal bending stiffness.

RADOME

Radome sandwich structures

Radar-transparent sandwich structures with defined transmission behavior for mmWave frequencies.

Locations

Traboch

Development and production of multilayer composite and sandwich material products

Materials: PMI, PET, PVC, PESU and PPSU foams, aluminum, CFRP

Industries

Consumer ElectronicsAutomotiveAerospaceTelecommunications (5G, Radar, SATCOM)Rail VehiclesMarine/ShipbuildingMotorsportSports EquipmentTemperature-Controlled Transport LogisticsAerospaceTemperature-Controlled Transport/Logistics

Processes & technical limits

Processes	Tolerance	Max. part	Weight	Lot size	Materials
Production of MILLIFOAM® thin foam sheets (proprietary cutting process from commercialPlastics	–	–	from 0.10 mm thickness	–	PMI, PET, PVC, PESU, PPSU
Production of CIMERA® microsandwich composite materials (MILLIFOAM® core with metal, polymerJoining	–	–	–	–	Aluminum, Plastics, Fiber composite (CFRP), PMI, PET, PVC, PESU, PPSU
Production of CIMERA® radome sandwich structures (simulation, design, prototype andJoining	–	–	–	–	Fiber composite, Plastics
Simulation and design of radome structures (mmWave frequencies)Engineering	–	–	–	–	–

Additional services

Simulation and designPrototype constructionSeries production of radome structures (simulation, design, prototype, series production)Cutting of thin rigid foam sheets with tight tolerances (proprietary cutting process, without

Quality and Certifications

Quality and environmental management system according to ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015, certified by SystemCERT. Information security according to ISO/IEC 27001:2022 (TÜV SÜD) as well as TISAX for data protection and prototype protection.

Evidence	Traboch
ISO 9001:2015
ISO 14001:2015
ISO/IEC 27001:2022
TISAX

History

2005
Founded in Traboch, Austria; start of production of microsandwich membranes for acoustic applications
World market leader in the production of micro-sandwich materials for the consumer electronics market for more than 10 years