The aim of the BIGBOND consortium project is to make maritime mega‑structures lighter and more sustainable by significantly expanding the scope of adhesive bonding. This will be achieved through the upscaling of production technology, the establishment of manufacturing‑friendly design standards, and the provision of methods for the design process—thereby making components more recyclable.
To this end, various aspects of bonding in large-scale shipbuilding applications will be developed. Concurrently, BIGBOND serves as a catalyst for the widespread adoption of standardized components made from lightweight, corrosion-resistant fiber-reinforced composite materials. The project will investigate the potential of such material substitutions. The work packages include:

• WP 1 – Methods and solutions for design and construction of large parts that facilitate both joining and dismantling.
• WP 2 – Design, modularization, and standardization of lightweight elements plus process engineering.
• WP 3 – Secure management of the joining process in shipbuilding structures with large dimensions and tight curing timeframes.
• WP 4 – Demonstration of use cases, including manufacturing and testing of demonstrators.
• WP 5 – Recyclable solutions and a holistic sustainability assessment.

CMT’s Role:
Within BIGBOND, CMT is responsible for the subproject on “Modularization, Standardization, and Process Engineering for Maritime Lightweight Structures.” CMT will develop and apply a method to identify especially suitable component types. After clustering requirement classes, materials will be selected, followed by the development of standard component designs and the planning of typical fabrication and logistics processes for the industry. Finally, a comprehensive economic analysis will be carried out for both the standardized elements and the produced demonstrator applications. Additional contributions from this subproject will include analysing business scenarios for possible closed material loops and engaging in dialogue with the maritime lightweight-construction community.