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Prefabricated modular build delivers large composite structure with minimal waste by Curve Works.
For Curve Works, a Dutch-based modular builder of composite shell structures, their methodology reduces cost by 40%, lead-time by 50% and material use by >70% compared to manufacturing in large, one-off mold.
In its drive to build large modular composite structures and reducing waste, they’ve taken the unique approach by using prefabricated panels to assemble the larger composite structure, rather than using a mold.
This approach not only reduces the overall cost, but also has implications of lead time from order to delivery to site.
By way of demonstration, they’ve manufactured a series of unique, doubly-curved composite sandwich panels using its automated adaptive mold. The panels, sized up to 4 x 1.6 meters, were assembled on a metal-frame jig and bonded together using Curve Works’ proprietary technology. The result is a modular built airtight structure 10 meters long, 4 meters wide and 3 meters tall.
Materials were also chosen for sustainability, including Kerdyn Green PET structural foam and Ampro BIO epoxy resin, both supplied by Gurit (Wattwil, Switzerland).
The whole process from panel production to structural assembly took only 14 working days. “It’s a major milestone for us to demonstrate such cost-effective and sustainable, modular building,” says Tahira Ahmed, co-founder of Curve Works. “Compared to manufacturing using a large mold, our figures show that we can reduce cost by 40%, lead-time by 50% and, importantly, material use by at least 70%.”
“The panel assembly approach, together with adaptive mold technology, allows Curve Works to be very flexible in both shape and size of the final parts,” says Ahmed. “We have a production technology here that allows us to go as large as the customer needs without the costs and tooling waste increasing exponentially as well.”
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