Composite materials have been around since the late 50’s and their potential applications in architecture have been widely discussed. While the dream of constructing incredibly thin, load-bearing membranes continues to dominate the architectural imagination very little research has been directed toward their actual production. What is sadly missing from contemporary discourse is a serious understanding of the tectonic possibilities offered by real machines, material processes and their modes of operation. By failing to examine specific technologies designers run the risk of either proposing unrealistic applications or worse missing their radical potential.