3D Composite Kits™

Modular building of large composite structures
No waste from tooling

Curve Works is the first company in the world that offers 3D Composite Kits™, enabling large modular composite builds without the waste from tooling.

 

Each Kit is composed of sandwich panels with skins on one, or both sides, which can be assembled into a complete structure of unlimited size. In this way, only assembly jigs are required, rather than a large mould to create the part.


We do this using our fully automated reconfigurable mould and unique infrastructure to create all the shapes required for your build.

 

This approach reduces cost by 40%, lead-time by 50% and material use by >70% compared to manufacturing one-offs in large conventional moulds.

Features

  • Large composite structures are built in a modular way.
  • Our composite panels are manufactured on reconfigurable moulds offering flexibility for last-minute changes.
  • A complete composite panel assembly engineered and manufactured within an accuracy of +/-3 mm.
  • Structural failure is outside the joint area.
  • A joining method that compensates for tolerance deviation and does not require secondary laminations. 
  • An easy to read installation map & procedure to reduce build time and labour cost. On site support is offered by Curve Works for every first customer.

The Flexskin joint

The 3D Composite Kits™ are sandwich panels with single- or double- sided skin, depending on the application. 

 

The structural core is thermoformed according to our own novel process with the skins placed in a secondary process.

 

The edges of each panel are manufactured according our FlexSkin joint design:  single- or multi- step skins. FlexSkin allow structural overlaps to neighbouring panels, even along doubly curved edges.

High fidelity joining method

Curve Works developed a joining method in which the application of the adhesive and the positioning of the panels is uncoupled. 

Each panel of the 3D Composite Kit™ is first mounted on the assembly- or subassembly-jig before the seams are infused with the toughened adhesive. 

There is no mess and no stress during the assembly process.

The bonding procedure ensures 100% filled joints that are guaranteed vacuum- and water- tight.

3D Composite Kit™ benefits

  • No waste from tooling
  • No more limits to size
  • Better cost to weight ratio than metal equivalents
  • More design freedom
  • Build time as competitive as metal equivalents
  • Compared to conventional composite builds:
    • Shorter lead-times
    • Lower costs
    • Minimised risk