ARRIS’ Cross Scale™ is a specialized form of injection molding that uses ultra-long fiber pellets to mold parts with long carbon fibers — delivering metal-like strength and stiffness at a fraction of the weight and cost. With fiber lengths of 5–10 mm (versus ~0.3 mm for standard short-fiber injection molding), Cross Scale™ parts achieve 5–10× the strength and stiffness of conventional injection molding: roughly half the weight of aluminum with similar stiffness, in a scalable, bio-based, recyclable composite.
Cross Scale™
Long Fiber Injection Molding
Performance
Strength: 5–10× the strength and stiffness of standard short-fiber injection molding
Long Fibers: 5–10 mm carbon fibers vs. ~0.3 mm in conventional injection molding
Lightweight: Aluminum-like performance at roughly half the weight
Sustainable: Bio-based resins that are renewable and recyclable
Long Fibers: 5–10 mm carbon fibers vs. ~0.3 mm in conventional injection molding
Lightweight: Aluminum-like performance at roughly half the weight
Sustainable: Bio-based resins that are renewable and recyclable
+
Scalability
Economics: Low part cost — well below continuous-fiber molding
Throughput: Injection-molding speeds with end-to-end automation
Optionality: Consumer- and aerospace-grade material options
Production Ready: Built on proven, repeatable injection-molding equipment
Throughput: Injection-molding speeds with end-to-end automation
Optionality: Consumer- and aerospace-grade material options
Production Ready: Built on proven, repeatable injection-molding equipment
How Cross Scale™ Works
ARRIS’ Cross Scale™ process is a specialized form of injection molding that uses ultra-long fiber pellets to produce strong, stiff parts reinforced with long carbon fibers. By adapting the material, process, and tooling, Cross Scale™ preserves fiber lengths of 5–10 mm — far longer than the ~0.3 mm typical of standard short-fiber injection molding — which is what unlocks its metal-like performance.
Performance of aluminum at half the cost and weight
ARRIS design, material & tooling · built on existing injection molding equipment
12–20 mm lengths
→
→
5–10 mm lengths
1
Long-Fiber Pellets
Ultra-long carbon-fiber pellets — with fibers 5–10 mm long, far beyond standard short-fiber compounds — are fed into the injection unit as the starting material.
Ultra-long carbon-fiber pellets — with fibers 5–10 mm long, far beyond standard short-fiber compounds — are fed into the injection unit as the starting material.
2
Low-Shear Plastication
A specialized screw, screw tip, and low back pressure melt the resin under low shear — preserving fiber length so the long fibers reach the mold intact.
A specialized screw, screw tip, and low back pressure melt the resin under low shear — preserving fiber length so the long fibers reach the mold intact.
3
Injection & Molding
Optimized gates and runners inject the long-fiber melt into the tool, where controlled, slower cycles fill complex geometries and solidify into a finished, near-net-shape part.
Optimized gates and runners inject the long-fiber melt into the tool, where controlled, slower cycles fill complex geometries and solidify into a finished, near-net-shape part.
What Can Cross Scale™ Do for Your Product?
1
Aluminum-Like Strength at Half the Weight
Aluminum-class stiffness (over 65 GPa) and strength (over 750 MPa) at a fraction of the weight.
2
Cosmetic Surfaces
High-quality molded-in or painted surfaces and tight tolerances straight from the tool, with minimal post-processing.
3
5–10× Stronger
Long carbon fibers — 5–10 mm in the final part — deliver up to 5–10× the strength and stiffness of standard short-fiber injection molding.
4
Complex Geometries
Injection molding fills intricate features, thin walls, ribs, and bosses that are difficult to achieve with continuous-fiber processes.
5
Low Cost at Scale
Mold complex, high-performance parts at injection-molding speeds and cost — a fraction of the cost of continuous-fiber composites.
6
Sustainable Materials
Bio-based resins that are renewable and recyclable, available in consumer- and aerospace-grade options.
Cross Scale™ in Action
Picatinny Rail
Replaced machined aluminum at the same stiffness — at roughly half the weight.
Machined aluminum35.4 g
Cross Scale™18.2 g
49% lighter
Drone Arm
Stiffness approaching cut carbon fiber — at a fraction of the cost, and US-made.
Specific stiffness (MN·m/kg)
Cut CF laminate58.0
Cross Scale™52.6
Aluminum 606125.5
Milled CF (injection molded)12.3
Cost ≈ $2.75 / part vs $13.25 for machined aluminum.
Cross-Scale™ Materials
Cross Scale™ delivers aluminum-class stiffness and strength at roughly half the weight. The table below shows representative properties for Cross-Scale™ aligned materials, with aluminum 6061-T6 for comparison.
| Property | CF-PC | CF-Bio Nylon | Aluminum 6061-T6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tensile Modulus, 0° / 90° (GPa) | 68 / 5.8 | 75 / 6.8 | 69 |
| Tensile Strength (MPa) | 1600 | 1800 | 310 |
| Compressive Strength (MPa) | 1300 | 1300 | 430 |
| Shear Strength (MPa) | 66 | 70 | 207 |
| Shear Modulus (GPa) | 2.4 | 2.7 | 26 |
| Fiber Volume, Vf | 0.45 | 0.45 | — |
| Glass Transition, Tg (°C) | 143 | 63 | — |
| Melt Temperature, Tm (°C) | 300 | 215 | 582 |
| Density (g/cm³) | 1.5 | 1.43 | 2.70 |
Representative values for Cross-Scale™ aligned material; actual performance varies with geometry and fiber orientation. Aluminum 6061-T6 shown for reference.
Built on proven technologies
Composites Manufacturing
Pioneered for high-performance aerospace products, composite materials deliver exceptional strength and stiffness but have historically had limited scalability.
+
High-Speed Molding
The highest-volume complex part manufacturing process in the world — molding delivers unrivaled scalability at low cost, but historically has not utilized materials capable of meeting the highest-performance applications.
Grounded in proven legacy technologies trusted by the world’s leading manufacturers, Cross Scale™ unites the performance of composite materials with the speed and scale of injection molding. By preserving long carbon fibers through a specialized molding process, it delivers aluminum-like strength and stiffness at a fraction of the weight — and at the cost and throughput of conventional molding.
Leveraging deep experience in material sciences, composites, and thermoplastic processing, ARRIS empowers leading brands to create innovative, high-performance, sustainable products at scale using long-fiber materials engineered for the process.
The product design and engineering teams of top brands shoulder great responsibility. Manufacturing scalability and cost are required because companies cannot fail their loyal customers. Product performance and design differentiation are necessary to attract new clients and inspire existing ones. Cross Scale™ brings together scalability, performance, and affordability for these teams in a single manufacturing technology.
Partner with ARRIS
ARRIS’ applications development team leverages deep expertise in long-fiber injection molding, composites manufacturing, and product development across industries. This world-class team is equipped with ARRIS’ powerful SpecificDesign™ design and optimization software, and is exclusively focused on helping customers’ product teams create breakthrough products.
New client onboarding generally follows this process:
1
Overview of ARRIS' design and manufacturing technologies
2
Application exploration to identify the highest value first projects
3
Collaborative design work
4
Simulation and optimization
5
Manufacturing of first articles
6
Full-scale production
Reach out to learn more about how Cross Scale™ can differentiate your products.
Contact UsRelated Posts
ARRIS Awarded AFWERX Contract to Advance High-Rate Thermoplastic Composite Manufacturing for Air Force Platforms
More Details
