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HOW IT’S COATED
Interview with Gabriele Natale, CEO of Moi composites
© MOI composites
MAMBO’s Finishes and Design: The Perfect Sea-Evoking Combination “To date, MAMBO represents not only the first boat made with innovative three-dimensional production techniques to be used in real navigation, but also a window to a new sea of possibilities and an invitation to reflect on the way in which we judge the realisation of possible or impossible ideas.”
M
AMBO is an acronym for Motor Additive Manufacturing BOat,
with Professor Marinella Levi created Moi composites as a spin-off, a
the world’s first 3D-printed fibreglass boat. It was designed and
natural evolution of academic research that has reached the necessary
manufactured by Moi composites, a young start-up company
and sufficient maturity to gather the first feedback from the market. Moi
created as a result of an academic research study at the Polytechnic
is currently the only European start-up capable of 3D printing continuous
University of Milan. We interviewed its founder, Gabriele Natale, to learn
fibre composite objects using thermosetting matrices. Its primary
more about the inception and realisation of this project that many people
objective is to industrialise the related machines and promote the use of
considered “impossible” and the role played by finishing in such a unique
AM within the composites market.
and special product. Moi composites has recently become the focus of international Moi composites is a young start-up company whose mission
media attention thanks to the MAMBO project, the first fibreglass
is “redefining composites manufacturing through 3D printed
motorboat to be built using a 3D printing technology patented by
products”. Can you briefly describe how your company
Moi and called Continuous Fibre Manufacturing (CFM). Can you
was established and how it has evolved to gain its current
explain how this innovative production process works?
technological expertise?
The 3D printing system called Continuous Fibre Manufacturing (CFM)
Moi composites was founded in 2018 following an academic research
is a digital process that enables 3D objects to be manufactured from
study started at the Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical
continuous fibre composite material using thermosetting matrices. It
Engineering “Giulio Natta” of the Polytechnic University of Milan. In
consists of three elements that must operate in synchrony: a mechanical
particular, researchers Gabriele Natale (me) and Michele Tonizzo together
part consisting of an articulated robot and a print head, the continuous
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N. 68 - MARCH/APRIL 2021 - international PAINT&COATING magazine