Reduce weight – improve performance
Derived from the Visby-class corvette’s 100-percent carbon fibre hull construction, we have successfully introduced the composite superstructure concept on the market for surface combatants.
Driven by an ever-increasing trend to put sensors and weapons high up in the ship, a composite superstructure enables ship designers to reduce top weight and improve stability.
A modern high-tech laminate of carbon fibre is one of the strongest, but lightest, materials known to mankind.
Saab composite superstructure concept is an affordable lightweight non-corroding alternative to steel or aluminium structures that saves around 50% in structural weight.
Key benefits:
- Optimized metacentric height, with improved sea-keeping, stability and roll characteristics as a result
- Less power (and fuel) to achieve contractual speeds – or higher speed can be achieved if same power is applied.
- Substantially lower follow-on maintenance and painting costs
- Carbon fibre inherently shields against a wide range of electromagnetic signals and is therefore an important component to the Visby-class corvette’s phenomenal stealth properties.
Modules, interface and support
We have developed a complete package for the introduction of a composite superstructure concept into an existing design and production environment for steel hull ships.
Existing steel drawings are input to a weight-optimized composite structure that fulfils all the requirements set up for the original design.
The structure can be fabricated in modules, hence making the modules easier to handle and enables them to be shipped by ordinary cargo transport means, to the ship construction site.
A special-developed composite-steel interface has been developed, to facilitate efficient installation by the local shipyard. Saab provides the
necessary training and support to the local yard in the installation process.
