Novel folding technology for light-weight design structures and protective packaging

The overall vision for the Fold2 consortium is to create a new portfolio of industrially foldable products. The novel folding technology will be a radical innovation in several industry areas, enabling industrial scale production of never-before seen novel structures for a wide variety of applications. Similar research has earlier carried out in Europe, but industrial scale has not reached. Fold consortium, lead by VTT, succeed to develop working machine concept for paperboard material in laboratory scale in 2022-2023. Through large scale implementation, the Fold technology supports and contributes to realizing the EU Green Transition Goals.

The key objective for the Fold2 project is the design of production line concepts that will lay the foundation for industrial investments. Secondly, design of product concepts, application of cutting technology and folding of thick structures will be carried out through a highly multi-disciplinary approach. There is not yet folding technology based on simple (origami) tessellation designs that reach large scale industrial production. Global business areas the novel solutions will penetrate creates immense potential for new business opportunities and increment of export potential for consortium companies and relevant Finnish industry being the first at global market. VTT aims to be a leading expert internationally as a developer and pilot of folding technology.

VTT is the coordinator of the Fold project. VTT leads the design of the Fold technology concepts and testing. VTT has the main responsibility for experimental performance tests. Aalto and VTT together develop further designs of tessellation concepts. VTT works closely with a consortium of companies (Anpap, Marja-Suomen Taimituotanto, Mirka, Soften, Stora Enso and Walki) and with the research partner Aalto University.