Curve Works CTO Reflects on 10-Year Path to Bureau Veritas Approval
SNAPSHOT: Francois Geuskens says the Approval in Principle validates the vision that led him to start Curve Works 10 years ago, replacing costly one-off tooling with adaptive mold, panel-based composite construction.
Source | Curve Works
Francois Geuskens, CTO and co-owner of Curve Works (Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands), is marking 10 years since founding the company by reflecting on what he calls one of its most important milestones: Earlier this summer, Curve Works received Bureau Veritas (Paris, France) Approval in Principle (AiP) for its 3D Composite Kit concept. The approval confirms that classified composite vessels can be built using prefabricated structural panels manufactured on adaptive molds and assembled into certified marine structures.
“For me personally, this is special because the idea behind this approval is the very reason why I founded Curve Works 10 years ago,” Geuskens says in a LinkedIn post on the subject. He explains that the company was built on the belief that there had to be a better way to manufacture large composite structures — one that would reduce the cost and waste associated with traditional tooling while still meeting the requirements for certified structures. “The original vision was to manufacture composite panels on adaptive molds, assemble them into larger structures and make modular composite construction a practical option for industries such as shipbuilding,” he says.
Beyond the technical achievement, Geuskens points to several potential benefits of the approach for naval architects and boatbuilders:
- Lower investment costs
- Shorter lead times
- Scalable production capacity
- Greater design freedom
- Less tooling waste
Geuskens acknowledges there is still a long road ahead before modular composite construction becomes standard industry practice, but says the AiP gives the company confidence it is moving in the right direction. He credits the milestone to a decade of persistence and collaboration, noting that turning a concept into something recognized by a classification society “requires a lot of persistence, collaboration and patience.”
CompositesWorld previously covered the Bureau Veritas approval itself, and has followed Curve Works’ adaptive mold technology over several years, including in “Reconfigurable tooling: Revolutionizing composites manufacturing,” which profiles Geuskens’ development of the adaptive mold process in greater technical depth.
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