GEAR FOCUS
FOX MORGAN DELVES INTO LIGHTWEIGHT INFLATABLE TECHNOLOGY
A new technology which custom shapes dynamic inflatable structures, and at half the weight of current drop stitch methods, could lead to big changes in marine products, watersports and more
In 2007 we saw the first drop stitch-built inflatable paddleboards come on to the I market, and since then paddleboarding’s popularity has skyrocketed. It’s estimated that around eight million people did some form of paddleboarding activity in the UK alone in 2021. Affordability and portability makes a SUP (standup paddleboard) one of the easiest entry points for people to get out on the water.
However, these inflatable platforms can lack the sophistication and performance of a hard board or rigid hull, to some extent limiting both what people can do with them and the design of new inflatable paddlesport equipment. There is a general acceptance that a ‘proper’ shaped board, kayak or foil, has to be of a solid construction type, which brings other compromises such as needing extra storage space, a carrying method, and not being able to fly with them on holiday.
But things are about to change. New company Shapewave presented their innovative latest welded technology at the METS equipment show last November. Shapewave co-founder Dominique Kwaks told us how robots have made it possible to create this new style of welded construction, which offers a dynamic three dimensional alternative to drop stitch construction, and could have a diverse application potential, particularly in the marine sector.
Shapewave’s second co-founder, Rudo Enserink, is a creative industrial designer who has worked in the marine industry for decades – including collaborating on the design of the Gunboat G4 – and took an interest in welded plastic construction due to frustration at lengthy existing construction processes and long lead times. He tried multiple ways to destroy some welded materials while in his office, and the seed was sown for a new way of welded construction.
HOW IT WORKS
The patented CAD-to-weld tool chain which Shapewave is using to develop its product enables the welding of thousands of Thermoplastic Polyurethane tapes internally within two membranes in just a few hours, with high accuracy and precision. It calls this robot machine the ‘Shapewave wavemaker01’, which produces a patented Welded Tape Technology.
Shapewave is scaling up production by having multiple wavemaker machines in their factory and developin
