A NEW lightweight composite cabin developed in Hampshire could revolutionise the way passenger vessels are built.

This innovation has been funded by the UK government’s ‘Innovate UK’ and Defence Science and Technology Lab (DSTL).

A consortium of market leading companies and advisory bodies including Carnival UK, Gurit (UK) Limited, PE Composites Limited, University of Southampton, Trimline Limited and Lloyd’s Register have been involved with its designing, engineering, manufacturing and fitting out.

Tipping the scales at a tonne, the prototype is half the weight of a typical steel cabin.

Designer Tom Royle, from Wizz Consultancy, said: “Reducing topside weight is becoming an increasing problem for naval architects as the trend for larger capacity ships continues.

“With this Lightweight Composite Cabin, the weight of each cabin is typically halved. This could open up opportunities for more cabins to be added to ships, without the added weight.”

He added, “I believe we have finally created something which is the future for anyone working with the building or maintenance of ships.”

Modern cruise ships are modular with the cabins arriving as prefabricated boxes which are slotted into place.

Tom, who brought the consortium together, says the new lightweight cabin will mean ships can have more cabins which will mean increase revenue for operators.

Reducing weight also make the ship faster and/or more fuel efficient and stable.

An expert in composites, Tom said the reduction in “topside weight” could lead to even bigger ships.

Tom, 63, who lives in Cornwall became involved in composites in the 1980s while working as an engineer with British Gas. He was tasked to research non-flammable materials in the wake of the Piper Alpha disaster in the North Sea.

Since then he has helped design composite bridges, tidal turbines, stage sets for U2 and the Rolling Stones, and the fibre glass back end of the new London bus.

The panels used in the new cabins are made from a composite with a non-combustible core which which means it complies with fire regulations.

Tom has developed the composite panel, adapting an existing material, with PE Composites on the Isle of Wight.

Southampton-based shipping fitting company Trimline assembled the prototype cabins which were unveiled this week.

The cabins arrived flat-packed to Trimline’s workshops for assembly. Trimline assembled the cabin structure and then fitted out the interior – the bed and all the furniture are also constructed of composite to keep weight down.

“We are planning to officially launch at SMM Hamburg in September where the cabin will be on display. There is still some work to do on certification but all the tests done to date are looking very promising and then hopefully we can go into production,” said a spokesman for the company.