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Indian Navy building warships using carbon fibre composites

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Indian Navy building warships using carbon fibre composite material

The Indian Navy is reportedly constructing two Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes, using carbon fibre composite material imported from Sweden.

The carbon fibre material, imported from Swedish stockyard Kockumo, is lighter than stainless-steel, which is traditionally used to construct warships. Using the new material will decrease the total weight of the vessel and increase its stealth capability.

The vessels, named INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti, are being built by defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata.

GRSE director shipbuilding, commodore Ratnakar Ghosh said: "These are the first ships where such a technology is being used in India.

"Stealth is the most important feature of composite material as it is less susceptible to detection, unlike steel."

The composite material will be used to construct the superstructure of the vessel, while the remaining sections, including the ship's hull, will be built using stainless steel.

Ghosh added: "The weight of the superstructure should be around 30% less. The cost is higher but that is offset against the long term advantages it offers."

The composite superstructure will be imported from Sweden and will be assembled and integrated with the main hull under supervision of Swedish experts in Kolkata, the news agency reported.

INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti will also be equipped with indigenous weapons and sensors, and will be capable of cruising at a speed of 25k.

The warships are expected to be delivered to the navy in 2017.

Indian Navy building warships using carbon fibre composite material - Naval Technology
 
I thought india had a lot of expertise, making carbon fibre structures? Why is india importing the superstructure from sweden? Why not get the TOT and make the structure in india?
 
I thought india had a lot of expertise, making carbon fibre structures? Why is india importing the superstructure from sweden? Why not get the TOT and make the structure in india?
It's not improving the superstructure from Sweden but specific materials. In time this will be indigenised for sure.
 
Indian Navy building warships using carbon fibre composite material

The Indian Navy is reportedly constructing two Kamorta-class anti-submarine warfare corvettes, using carbon fibre composite material imported from Sweden.

The carbon fibre material, imported from Swedish stockyard Kockumo, is lighter than stainless-steel, which is traditionally used to construct warships. Using the new material will decrease the total weight of the vessel and increase its stealth capability.

The vessels, named INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti, are being built by defence PSU Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers in Kolkata.

GRSE director shipbuilding, commodore Ratnakar Ghosh said: "These are the first ships where such a technology is being used in India.

"Stealth is the most important feature of composite material as it is less susceptible to detection, unlike steel."

The composite material will be used to construct the superstructure of the vessel, while the remaining sections, including the ship's hull, will be built using stainless steel.

Ghosh added: "The weight of the superstructure should be around 30% less. The cost is higher but that is offset against the long term advantages it offers."

The composite superstructure will be imported from Sweden and will be assembled and integrated with the main hull under supervision of Swedish experts in Kolkata, the news agency reported.

INS Kiltan and INS Kavaratti will also be equipped with indigenous weapons and sensors, and will be capable of cruising at a speed of 25k.

The warships are expected to be delivered to the navy in 2017.

Indian Navy building warships using carbon fibre composite material - Naval Technology
 
I hope soon some Indian manufacturer will replace them just like now we are building other warships with indigenous steel.
 
read this line

Read the line which says "The composite superstructure will be imported from Sweden", before you open your trap.

I hope soon some Indian manufacturer will replace them just like now we are building other warships with indigenous steel.

HAL, been making carbon and GRP composites....LOL....the tech to construct these superstructures is already in india, and you guys import.
 
Read the line which says "The composite superstructure will be imported from Sweden", before you open your trap.



HAL, been making carbon and GRP composites....LOL....the tech to construct these superstructures is already in india, and you guys import.
HAL & NAL make CFC for Aircrafts, helicopters, rockets, missiles etc. in which they make small parts but ship you need big CF knitting machine, big 3d printer, big oven & larger scale of machine & toolings .
This is first experience of CFC in ship after that we make locally but it need big investment & time.
 
HAL, been making carbon and GRP composites....LOL....the tech to construct these superstructures is already in india, and you guys import.
Carbon composites are regularly on our air-force birds and HAL knows it's way around it. But this is a ship we are talking about. A corvette more specifically. A missile pounding, submarine hunting ASW corvette. Serious stuff and, NOT just a lab experiment. Also we have never done this kind of thing before. We do not have such large kilns to fabricate such huge panels for the superstructure of the ship. Hence it's imported.
 
Carbon composites are regularly on our air-force birds and HAL knows it's way around it. But this is a ship we are talking about. A corvette more specifically. A missile pounding, submarine hunting ASW corvette. Serious stuff and, NOT just a lab experiment. Also we have never done this kind of thing before. We do not have such large kilns to fabricate such huge panels for the superstructure of the ship. Hence it's imported.

Its probably faster and cheaper to Import, than to make it in India since it has never been used for Ship building before. For any future ships, I am pretty sure it will be made in India.

This is a good move to rebalance Indian ships and push down its centre of Gravity. I always had my doubts about the INS Kolkatta / Vishakapatnam class being top heavy due to its high Radar placements.

A Top heavy ship is less likely to survive heavy cyclone/storm at sea. You want the CG of a ship as low as possible.
 
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Carbon composites are regularly on our air-force birds and HAL knows it's way around it. But this is a ship we are talking about. A corvette more specifically. A missile pounding, submarine hunting ASW corvette. Serious stuff and, NOT just a lab experiment. Also we have never done this kind of thing before. We do not have such large kilns to fabricate such huge panels for the superstructure of the ship. Hence it's imported.

Have you been to HALs manufacturing plant? Do you know the capacity of the klin HAL has? Do you know how long HAL has been fabricating composites for? Do you know the size of each PVC/carbon section on the Visby is? From the article its clear GRSE is buying prefabricated structural blocks that will be assembled in Kolkata.
 
Have you been to HALs manufacturing plant? Do you know the capacity of the klin HAL has? Do you know how long HAL has been fabricating composites for? Do you know the size of each PVC/carbon section on the Visby is? From the article its clear GRSE is buying prefabricated structural blocks that will be assembled in Kolkata.
And your point is?
 
Have you been to HALs manufacturing plant? Do you know the capacity of the klin HAL has? Do you know how long HAL has been fabricating composites for? Do you know the size of each PVC/carbon section on the Visby is? From the article its clear GRSE is buying prefabricated structural blocks that will be assembled in Kolkata.
Well No for most of the questions. But HAL cannot have required CFC making kilns needed for GRSE for 1 simple reason. GRSE need specific type of CFC for making the superstructure.And it's bound to be different from the requirement of HAL. Lets assume that these two have some middle ground of their requirement, then I guess HAL may kilns which can bake 2 ~ 4 Tejas Wing pairs at a time ?? Well then the Biggest of HAL kilns will not be able to bake the smallest section of this superstructure.
And hence I am saying they will be getting the superstructure fabricated where they have such facilities available. Also if you have some info to share please be my guest.
 

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