Solico, the leading marine composite engineering specialist, will present its latest developments in lightweight composite structures for the Marine sector at METS 2022. Running from November 15-17, METS is the world’s largest trade exhibition for marine equipment, materials and systems. At METS 2022, Solico will highlight the company’s broad portfolio of composite engineering capabilities for the superyacht, powerboat and sailing yacht markets with a particular focus on the dual benefits of weight reduction and sustainability which its engineering enables.
Solico will detail some of the performance, cost, and production time success stories created by its lightweight composite marine structures. On display will be some of Solico’s most recent projects, including a detailed scale model of the Edorado 8S full carbon electric foiling powerboat and a 3D printed model of a carbon fibre transom door providing access to the beachclub of a Royal Huisman sailing superyacht.
Since 2014, Finnish builder Axopar Boats has grown to become one of Europe’s top ten powerboat producers. Solico recently worked on a new Axopar model, with its engineering optimization not only reducing the craft’s overall composite weight by over 20%, but also contributing to a massive annual saving in composite materials for this high volume production boat.
The Edorado 8S is an ultra-light composite foiling powerboat. Solico’s engineering support enabled Edorado to verify a significantly lighter full carbon prepreg structure which met their performance targets whilst also increasing the maximum number of passengers possible and extending the all-electric craft’s range.
Solico has been proud to engineer structures for many of leading superyacht builder Royal Huisman’s projects over the years, lightweighting vessels and creating innovative design possibilities. Engineered together with Frans Brandjes, carbon fibre composites were integral to the design development of a recent large transom door project for a Royal Huisman sailing superyacht. The 3D printed parts on display illustrate the complexity of the huge composite hull door which significantly reduced weight in the ends of the vessel and allowed an unrestricted access route to the yacht’s beach club area.
As a key part of its sustainability focus, Solico also works proactively to confirm how composites can deliver not just lighter, but also more energy efficient vessels in the future. In late 2021, Solico worked with a leading aluminium yacht builder on a composite superstructure roof requested by the yard to lightweight a large sailing yacht. The Solico case study showed that whilst the principal benefit was a 50% weight saving over the original aluminium roof, the composite version also improved thermal performance by over 30%.
The Solico team are looking forward to a busy METS 2022 and will be available on stand 12.712 throughout the show to discuss the smartest engineering solutions that reduce weight and add value to composite marine structures.
