The impact of a new mould system as part of a novel manufacturing process for complex geometry thin-walled GFRC

Resolving the challenges of advancing thin-walled glass fibre-reinforced
concrete (GFRC) requires a novel, more automated digital design and
manufacturing process that meets the requirements of present demands
for thin-walled GFRC panels. The design, optimisation and manufacture
of moulds using existing approaches are subject to many limitations and
constraints that result in feedback loops between each stage of the
design and manufacturing processes. This precludes the efficient and
fully automated digital design and manufacture of complex geometry
thin-walled GFRC panels. The proposed mould system described in this
article overcomes many of these constraints and, when combined with
new software plug-ins, will be capable of digitally resolving the
limitations or constraints that interrupt each key stage of the design and
manufacturing processes. These plug-ins have been characterised to
provide a seamless interface between software and hardware with
minimal delays caused by design feedback loops to allow a fully
automated digital design process to be realised. The impact of the new
mould on this novel process is analysed and further research necessary
to advance the process is identified.