Loonshot Factory

SERVICES / 00 — OVERVIEW

Lab promise →
production proof.

We run pilot campaigns and material-validation work on a documented line in Lemi. No engineering, no EPCM, no commercial construction. One thing: turn promising next-generation materials into evidence the next decision can be built on.

01 — MATERIALS

What we work on.

Four material families, each with its own intake, its own processing route on site, and a defined set of outputs you can take to a brand owner or a board.

M·01

Agro-fibres & side streams

Intake

Reed, straw, bagasse, hemp, bark, sawmill side streams and similar lignocellulosic feedstocks.

What we build

Pre-treatment recipes that open the fibre, followed by refining and forming campaigns aimed at packaging, board or filtration substrates. Steam-explosion pre-treatment expands as the 200 L reactor comes online.

Typical outputs

  • —Pre-treated pulp for downstream evaluation
  • —Sample reels at 25–250 g/m² for converter trials
  • —Mass and energy balance for the campaign
  • —Refining and forming process windows

Equipment used

  • —Steam-explosion reactor (in build)
  • —Jylhä JC-01 conical refiner
  • —HEILI fourdrinier line
  • —BHS-Sonthofen belt filter

M·02

Recycled textile fibre

Intake

Post-industrial and post-consumer cotton/cellulose-rich textile waste, dyed or undyed.

What we build

Caustic pre-treatment for dye removal and cellulose preparation, followed by dedicated refining for non-wood furnish and forming on HEILI. Suitable for textile-to-pulp process scoping and bench-to-pilot translation.

Typical outputs

  • —Dye-stripped, washed textile pulp
  • —Forming windows for textile-rich furnishes
  • —Sample sheets for brand-side technical review
  • —Basis-of-design data for the client's commercial line

Equipment used

  • —Impregnation vessel (1–2 m³, 6 bar, 121 °C)
  • —BHS belt filter
  • —Jylhä JC-01 refiner
  • —HEILI line

M·03

Packaging & barrier substrates

Intake

Virgin or recycled fibre, novel furnishes, barrier chemistries, fillers, additives, surface treatments.

What we build

Multi-layer and composite forming trials at 25–250 g/m², with TrumpJet inline dosing for chemicals and barriers. Foam-forming capable. Lab follow-up for barrier and sealability before any external trial.

Typical outputs

  • —Multi-layer or composite sample reels (62 cm wide)
  • —Cobb60, porosity, formation and tensile data per campaign
  • —Heat-seal pre-screen on-site; OTR / WVTR via external lab
  • —Recipe sheet with chemical doses and process targets

Equipment used

  • —HEILI line (multi-layer, foam-forming)
  • —TrumpJet (2× inline mixing)
  • —Heat sealer + dry-lab suite
  • —Extended testing network

M·04

MFC / NFC and specialty cellulose

Intake

Refined pulps and side streams targeted at micro- and nanocellulose, MCC and barrier additives.

What we build

Internal fibrillation, high-speed mechanical fibrillation (Atrex, coming online) and downstream washing on the belt filter. Lab characterisation of fibre morphology and freeness on every batch.

Typical outputs

  • —Washed MCC / MFC sample lots
  • —Fibre morphology data (length, width, fines, coarseness, kink, curl)
  • —Freeness and drainage measurements
  • —Recommended downstream forming and dosing windows

Equipment used

  • —Zapaca internal fibrillator
  • —Atrex fibrillator (coming online)
  • —BHS belt filter
  • —Valmet fibre analyser
Full equipment & laboratory list →

02 — ENGAGEMENT

How we work.

Four steps from intake to a scale-up data pack. Engagements normally start at step one or two — we don't take work where pilot data won't change the decision.

01

Feasibility & scoping

Bench-data review, feedstock and utilities scoping, indicative mass balance, and a pilot campaign proposal you can sign off on. Typically a 2–4 week desk study.

Deliverables

  • —Process review memo
  • —Indicative mass balance
  • —Campaign proposal with scope, schedule and cost

02

Pilot runs

Operated campaigns on HEILI and the supporting equipment. Calibrated lines, documented process windows, sample yield sized for downstream converter trials. Campaigns typically run kilograms to tonnes.

Deliverables

  • —Run log with process parameters
  • —Sample reels and conditioned sheets
  • —Trial summary with observations

03

Material validation

ISO/TAPPI characterisation on-site, plus access to a 60+ test external network for barrier, food-contact, advanced strength and chemistry. Batch-to-batch repeatability built into the campaign.

Deliverables

  • —Standards-aligned test report
  • —Comparative benchmarking against a target spec
  • —Sample sets for brand qualification

04

Scale-up readiness

A clean handoff: process data pack, mass and energy balances, equipment learnings, risk / gap register, and a defensible basis-of-design for the client's commercial line.

Deliverables

  • —Process & energy data pack
  • —Risk and gap register
  • —Basis-of-design memo for investor / board review

03 — SCOPE

What we don't do.

  • ×EPCM or commercial plant construction
  • ×Detailed engineering for client-owned lines
  • ×Equipment supply or resale
  • ×Long-term commercial offtake / merchant sales
  • ×Anonymous benchmarking against named competitors
  • ×Publishing client names without explicit consent

If your project needs any of the above, we'll point you at the right kind of partner before we waste your time.

Have a brief to discuss?

A short description of the material, the bench result, and the decision you're trying to support is enough to start.

Send a brief