Technology for low cost manufacturing of singly and doubly curved composite and plastic panels without a mould.

This Dutch company solved the well known problem that for manufacturing of singly or doubly curved products a labour intensive and high expensive mould is needed. The common problems of prototyping and small-series production of singly and doubly curved - products are high tooling costs, long lead times and storage/disposal issues of moulds. For the solution of this problem, the company developed a technology based on ICT principles of Smart Industry to realize a digital production technology that enables to manufacture singly an doubly curved products without the costs of plugs and tooling. This manufacturing technology was developed based on Industry 4.0 principles for the production of this kind of panels. This technology is distinctive in realizing affordable one-offs and small series of composite and plastic products. For the manufacturing an adaptive mould is used, which reconfigures itself to the required shape meaning that endless shapes can be produced from a single piece of equipment. This eliminates the use of conventional tooling and therefore economic and environmental waste. The company is looking for technical cooperation with companies in architecture and large public artworks. With their special production facilities they enable architects to design organic façades and artist's free-form shapes without the concern of the high non-recurring costs of manufacture. Cooperation can be arranged in the frame of a manufacturing - or a commercial agreement with technical assistance.