Manufacturer Focus Cast-in ferrule connection placement on a robotic mould for a lightweight curved panel.
Advancing the manufacture of curved concrete Alexandra Cooper speaks to Daniel Prohasky, co-founder and CEO of Curvecrete, about the new company’s bespoke, sustainable, curved concrete manufactured in Melbourne using advanced manufacturing.
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NE of the main advantages of utilising industrial advanced robotic systems in the manufacturing industry lies in the improved security of the supply chain at large, according to The Action Plan for Critical Technologies report from the Australian Critical Technologies Policy Coordination Office (CTPCO). With the amplified demand for implementing advanced robotics within the manufacturing process in many businesses, this has become increasingly evident. Established in 2019 through
18 MARCH 2022 Manufacturers’ Monthly
the support of the University of Melbourne and Swinburne University of Technology, the curved concrete and robotics manufacturing company, Curvecrete, was founded by CEO Daniel Prohasky and CFO Warren Rudd. Prohasky’s love for the idea of creating exciting architecture, to construct high quality buildings using low carbon, and less wasteful materials drove the creation of the new advanced manufacturing company. The robotic concrete moulding technique was originally invented by
Paul Loh, David Legget, and Prohasky at the University of Melbourne. It produced bespoke curved concrete panels – making a simpler, faster, zero waste production process. “I was doing my PhD at RMIT for Aerospace Engineering and was getting very involved with the digital fabrication space and trying to realise ways that we could build better by integrating architecture and engineering,” Prohasky said. “Collaborating with researchers at the University of Melbourne eventuated in the core technology
that we use at Curvecrete. We started from a passion of trying to build higher quality buildings and even more so now with a strong focus on sustainable processes, Curvecrete is on a mission to accelerate the use of low carbon materials in construction. Advanced manufacturing is an enabler of that.” After negotiating a licensing agreement with the University of Melbourne, the founders then set off down the commercialisation route. In October 2021, Curvecrete won an Accelerating Commercialisation manmonthly.com.au
