Manufacturing Development of Lightweight Composite Cabins

A previous Innovate UK project proved it is feasible to produce a marine cabin half the weight of present designs which satisfies IMO/SOLAS prescriptive regulations. This milestone was achieved by the use of innovative materials and using artisan production methods. The use of composite materials in place of steel reduces weight which is a critical issue especially in relation to vessel stability. It reduces fuel usage leading to lower emissions. It also reduces the carbon footprint. This project turns that concept and technology demonstrator into a commercially viable product. The focus is on value and production engineering and building on what was learned during the earlier project. This will especially involve selecting materials that will allow more rapid production and developing innovative manufacturing processes which will allow shorter production times not presently possible with such materials. The project will reduce the cabin production cost and develop a pilot production plant that could meet the demand of the marine retrofit market. The project will also design a full production plant to satisfy the larger new build market.