2023 JEC Composites Innovation Awards Winner - Chantiers de l'Atlantique

Nicolas ABIVEN, Senior Engineer at CHANTIERS DE L’ATLANTIQUE talks about winning the Innovation Awards for the Solid Sail Mast, how it wucceeded thanks to strong ties with their partners and what the future holds

CHANTIERS DE L'ATLANTIQUE (France) with its partners(s): AVEL ROBOTIC, France - BUREAU VERITAS, France - CDK, France - HEXCEL, France - LORIMA, France - MECA, France - MULTIPLAST, France - SMM, France

Industrialization of the fabrication of very large mast to fit to price and delay of marine industry market.
SOLID SAIL MAST fabrication is based on carbon preg pieces made in autoclave. We cut the mast in sections able to enter the largest autoclave (24m x 6m) we had and develop an assembly method using AFP fabricated sleeves to assembly the 24m long sections together in a quick and efficient way.

Key benefits:
• Higher quality standard through precisely automated lamination
• Higher productivity from faster/fewer manufacturing processes
• Lower production cost from reduction of processes
• Reduced waste and reduced manufacturing hazard
• Higher consistency in the mass manufacturing of parts

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