Curved composite panel capabilities enable complex architectures

Bespline (Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada), a company enabling curved composite surfaces, continues to grow its capabilities with the supply of Shaped Foam Kits to the marine and aeronautics industry, as well as a variety of shaped composites for architecture/construction and special projects. Bespline is part of the IND Group — which includes Addcomp— providing design and project management for automation.

Bespline CEO Yoann Bonnefon came across Adapa’s adaptive molding technology at CAMX 2020. Capable of achieving composite parts with dimensional and geometric complexity, acquisition of this equipment and beginning of operations in December 2021 have advanced bespline’s ability to produce durable and customizable curved panels.

Bespline has licensed its Shaped Foam Kits manufacturing methodology from European partner Curve Works (Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands), the first company in Europe to use the Adapa reconfigurable molds for composites manufacturing. The bespline engineering team works from a customer’s 3D drawings/CAD files to split the surface into panels optimized to minimize core waste. The corresponding Shaped Foam Kit core map is generated with features such as chamfers, cut-outs and inserts marked in each panel drawing. Panel shape and thickness are analyzed, and spring back correction is applied. The software then converts the finalized Shaped Foam Kit drawings into the control program for the adaptive mold.

The mapping and nesting service bespline provides ensures minimal material waste, while the correction for spring back is said to guarantee a better fitting core kit for reduced assembly times. Bespline says that cores — including PVC, PET and SAN foam — up to 50 mm thick can be thermoformed with a distinctive process, saving kilograms of resin and hours of labor.

Bespline can also manufacture doubly curved cladding panels with different kinds of finishes for interior design and exterior cladding using an acrylic-based resin which is VOC-free and fire-retardant (Acrylic One). The company is also using its technology to make cockpits and domes for simulators by assembling finished vacuum-infused composite panels.