Every year, JEC rewards collective ground-breaking, creative projects that demonstrate the full potential of composite materials with the JEC Composites Innovation Awards. We are very proud and a little bit surprised to announce that we are one of the three nominees in the ‘Maritime transportation and shipbuilding’ category with our project : Tool-less Composite Builds by 3D Core Kit.
The Jury’s commends to nominate us;A groundbreaking sailing yacht is built using innovative 3D Core Kits, eliminating traditional mould and tooling waste. A wooden jig is used to assemble and bond the thermoformed foam core, serving as the foundation for laminating the inner and outer carbon structure.
Curve Works’s 3D Core Kits are kits of thermoformed structural foam core, formed on adaptive moulds. Paul Dijkstra Composites ingeniously utilised the 3D Core Kit as both mould and substructure for a new 46ft yacht. A simple wooden frame acted as an assembly jig for the Kit, which was bonded together to a vacuum-tight surface and overlaminated with carbon skins. This approach bypasses the plug-mould process resulting in shorter build times, minimal waste, and the first hull also served as the production-ready mould.
Key benefits
- No plug/mould required – cost-efficient build process
- Faster build time
- 90% waste reduction from tooling
- Less factory space required โ no need to store a mould
The other two nominees are OceanWings from the French company Ayro and the Hydrogen Chase Boat from the Swiss company Gurit, developed for the America’s Cup. We are very proud and a little surprised to be on the list with this big players in the composites world. The winners will be announced on February 8.
More info about this project have a look at: https://pd-composites.com/new-revolutionair-carbon…/ a second episode is coming soon!
Like to know more about the 3D Core kit look at www.curveworks.nl