Loop
Lace
MaterialsLOOP vs filament winding: beyond tubes and vessels
Updated 15 October 2026
Filament winding wraps fibre in continuous helices on a mandrel: it is fast on tubes and vessels, but it cannot lay 0° fibres, does not interrupt the strand and struggles with tight curves and closed shapes. LOOP works on up to 6 axes on a mandrel or a tilting table, lays 0°, 90° and ±θ, stops only where needed and reaches complex small and medium parts.
By Valerio Di Pompeo, co-founder and CEO of Spherecube
How filament winding works
In filament winding a mandrel rotates while a carriage moves back and forth along its axis, and the impregnated fibre wraps in continuous helices or hoop turns. It is a fast, established and very efficient process for tubes, shafts, pressure vessels and tanks. But it is the process that decides where the fibre goes: the angle must stay inclined enough for the fibre not to slip, the strand is not interrupted and closed ends are hard to cover.
How LOOP works on a mandrel
LOOP also uses a rotary mandrel, but combines it with up to 6 axes and a head that lays the tow perpendicular to the surface, steers it at constant width, interrupts it and restarts it at exactly the right point. So the fibre goes where the design asks: at 0° along the axis, at 90°, at ±θ or along curved paths around holes and inserts. In the same cell LOOP also works on a tilting table, for open parts.
Side-by-side comparison
| Filament winding | LOOP | |
|---|---|---|
| 0° fibres on rotating parts | No | Yes |
| Fibre stop and restart | No, continuous strand | Yes, only where needed |
| Tight curves without wrinkles | No | Yes, constant-width tow |
| Closed and tapered geometries | With limits: the tip stays uncovered | Yes |
| Complex small and medium parts | With limits | Yes |
| Table and mandrel in the same cell | No, mandrel only | Yes |
| Fibre angles | Helical / hoop only | 0°, 90°, ±θ, steered |
| Typical parts | Tubes, vessels | Small–medium, complex, closed too |
| Cell investment | Medium | Modest |
What it means for the part
Without 0° fibres, the bending stiffness of an arm or a tube must come from inclined fibres, which work less well in that direction: more plies and more weight are needed. Without interruptions, the fibre must cover the whole surface even where it carries no load. With LOOP the material concentrates along the loads and is absent where it is not needed, and the paths are compared first in LACE by weight, material and time.
After deposition the part is compacted and cured and can integrate co-cured metal inserts. Fibre positioning is ±0.2 mm and the LOOP working volume is 400 × 400 × 350 mm. For the terms used here, see the glossary.
When to choose which
Choose filament winding for long, axisymmetric tubes, shafts, tanks and pressure vessels with mainly hoop or helical loads and high volumes: there it is fast, efficient and proven.
Choose LOOP when the part rotates but is not a simple cylinder: when 0° fibres, tapers, closed ends, holes, inserts or local reinforcement are needed, or when open and closed parts live in the same product family.
Frequently asked questions
Can filament winding lay 0° fibres?
Not on rotating parts. Filament winding wraps fibre in helices or hoops and, to stay stable on the mandrel, the fibre cannot run parallel to the axis. LOOP lays 0° fibres too, because it stops, restarts and follows the programmed path.
Can LOOP produce tubes?
Yes. With the rotary mandrel LOOP produces tubes, profiles and closed shapes, tapered ones too, and in the same cell it works on a tilting table for open parts.
When is it better to stay with filament winding?
For long tubes and axisymmetric vessels with mainly hoop or helical loads, at high volumes. There filament winding is fast and well established.
Have a part and not sure which process fits? A feasibility study takes 10 working days.
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