Feature 2 | MARINE COMPOSITES & CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS New carbon challenger
Magma Structures is aiming to establish itself as a high-end manufacturer of carbon fibre solutions for the marine and offshore sectors
secret for the past 20 months, although the company is now attempting to position itself as a leading player in carbon fibre composite construction, and as one of the few companies of this type in Britain currently offering carbon solutions for complex maritime and offshore projects. Te group is keen to tackle high-end
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solutions and projects that it posits as “technically challenging”, rather than focusing on actual vessel construction for the time being. Magma Structures was formed in September 2011, as a subsidiary of oil and gas engineering solutions provider Magma Global, which specialises in producing carbon composite undersea piping, branded m-pipe, complete with fibre optics for remote maintenance purposes. Prior to its formation in 2009, the core Magma Global team had been deployed in the engineering and composite specialist Insensys, with past projects having included the construction of the carbon fibre rigs aboard the 88m loa, Perini Navi-built superyacht Maltese Falcon. Given this background, it is not
surprising that Magma Structures’ first two projects, underway at its waterside premises, are focused on yacht rig
ocated in the coastal UK city of Portsmouth, Magma Structures has been a relatively guarded
construction. Although unwilling to divulge customer details at present, Clive Johnson, Magma Structures chief executive, tells Ship & Boat International that the group is currently piecing together a carbon fibre rig, comprising rotating, 100m+, un-stayed masts with automatic sail-handling systems, for a privately owned, three-masted yacht, whilst also constructing a rig comprising 60m+ masts for a similar vessel. As an indicator of the amount of carbon involved in these creations, the former contract will see more carbon included in the rig than is typically found in the airframe of a Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraſt. According to Johnson, Magma Structures
is currently utilising “more than 100tonnes of carbon a year” across both projects, which commenced in late 2011 and December 2012 respectively. Te first rig is scheduled to be delivered in November 2014, with the second following in 2015. Raw, pre-preg carbon material is sourced from strategic partner Toray Carbon Fibers Europe and kept frozen, until it is brought out, infused with resin and baked for use in the rig construction. Considering that it usually takes two days to heat up the materials, at temperatures spanning 90˚C - 120˚C, to the point that they are usable, it says something about the volume of carbon used that each project is scheduled to take the best part of three years. But then again, as
Magma Structures’ growing workforce is utilising more than 100tonnes of carbon each year
Johnson points out, the group is laying up 170mm-thick laminates, providing a vastly superior thickness to the average marine composite application.
Natural fibres: cheaper and lighter?
Bamboo could prove to be a viable and valuable bio-epoxy composite, according to yacht designer Schickler Tagliapietra. Assessing the benefits of polyethylene (PE), partner Davide Tagliapietra says: “PE is the simplest synthetic polymer, is very common, has good insulation properties and is 100% recyclable, as well as having a low production cost, of only €2-3 per kg, and one of the best production rates – you can build a layer in less than an hour. However, PE has a melting temperature of 132˚C, a strain at yield of 15% and poor mechanical properties.” In contrast, he adds, natural fibre materials such as flax, bamboo and hemp require smaller than usual amounts of resin to become composite materials – approximately 30% of the total composition – and boast mechanical properties comparable to, or better than, wood. “Bamboo plants are suitable for structural use within three years, and can be easily grown for availability,” he comments. “The University of Bologna has also conducted assessments, showing that the price of bamboo fibre is five times less than that of carbon fibre. “With bio-epoxies, it is also possible to attain unidirectional thicknesses from 0.4-0.6mm and a single skin that is 20% lighter compared to similar FRP applications.”
52 Ship & Boat International May/June 2013
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