JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #138 - January/February 2021 - 33

A 3D-printed boat made with a continuous-fibreglass thermoset material

Gabriele Natale,
President & CEO
Moi Composites

JEC Composites Magazine: : You founded
Moi Composites in 2018 as a spin-off
from the Politecnico di Milano University.
What is your background in composites?

Gabriele Natale: II worked for three
years as a researcher at the Giulio Natta Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering at the
Politecnico di Milano University, and
I had the chance to work on different
projects related to composites materials, including the Atropos research project that won a JEC Innovation Award
in 2017.
Milan is not by the sea, so why did you
launch a project in the nautical sector?
Are you particularly close to this sector?

G.N.: We chose a product in the nau-

tical sector to demonstrate the capabilities, applicability, and scalability
of our continuous fibre manufacturing
technology. With key partners in the
automation, composites, software and
marine sectors, we could share the po-

hull shape or an interior component,
you can quickly and easily modify your
3D model and change the 3D print,
which is difficult to do with moulds.

How and why did you choose 3D printing to get started?

Do you think you can use this technology for mass production?

G.N.: I think that new concepts and
evolutions in the marine sector are not
limited by the creativity of designers,
engineers and naval architects. Every
day, technicians develop new boat or
yacht concepts characterized by futuristic shapes or new, better-performing
hulls, but most of these beautiful ideas
remain renderings due to production
challenges, mould investments, or other kinds of limitations. With a 3D printing technology such as ours, it is possible to create these new geometries and
advances in real life.

G.N.: We believe mass customization

l3D printing is not the navy's favourite
process. Is infusion more widespread?

G.N.: Sure, infusion is more wide-

spread today, but the idea behind
MAMBO (Motor Additive Manufacturing Boat) is to demonstrate you can
produce one-of-a-kind boats with optimized performance without creating
models and moulds. As a consequence,
creating one-off or small batches of
products eliminates the need to invest
in expensive tooling. Also, if you need
to change anything, for example the
When the impossible
becomes possible
MAMBO spans 6.5 metres long by
2.5 metres wide, has a dry weight of

is the next frontier and trend. Using
CFM technology to create a unique, extremely personalized product based on
the owner's desires is a real added value
that we want to bring to the market.

Which improvements are essential to
make your process a success?

G.N.: Our essential process activi-

ties include upgrading hardware (tool
heads) for added capability, refining
software for more user-friendly interfaces, and expanding material options
(fibres and resins) based on market
feedback. To do this, we are looking for
investors or industrial partners who can
help us accelerate.

What are your next projects?

G.N.: We are evaluating new impossi-

ble projects to push the limits of composites production. We are always open
to new, creative ideas to challenge the
envelope of CFM technology's potential and to demonstrate the extremely
adaptive features of advanced composite materials in 3D printing.

approximately 800 kg and is equipped
with a real navigation system, cork
flooring, white leather seats and a 115cv engine.

Fig. 2:
CFM process

N°138 January - February 2021

/ jec composites magazine

Feature Marine

A 3D-printed boat
Moi Composites participated in the
Genoa boat show in 2017, and it was
during this event that they came up with
the idea of making MAMBO. They saw
the project take shape first, then brought
it to life, and finally MAMBO arrived at
the sea.
The company now has 3D printed a boat,
enhancing the concept of customization
with a one-of-a-kind design created and
tailored from the owner's mind, to give
everyone the opportunity to understand
and experience the sea in their own way.
All this would not have happened without the support of several partners who
believed in this ambitious project.

tential to innovate in areas that not only
utilize fibreglass composite materials
but also have major opportunities to
open up to new technological advances.

interview

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #138 - January/February 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #138 - January/February 2021