The Revolution in Carbon Fibre Piano Design is here!

The piano will be displayed on the stand of Retrac Composites who were commissioned to build the first prototype model using their vast amount of experience in the building of complex systems in carbon fibre.

Simpact Project Manager, Dr Dirk Landheer said that without the application of modern virtual design and analysis techniques, this achievement would have been unthinkable. A combination of 3D digitisations, CAE and CAD has produced an advanced design which materialises the design concept of Mr Richard Dain, Chairman of Hurstwood Farm Piano Studios. It has some important acoustic as well as innovative functional qualities and only weighs around one third of a traditional concert grand.

SAATI, global manufacturer of a wide range of specialist fabrics in carbon, manufactured and supplied the specific composite material for the piano.

The frame of a piano has to withstand string forces in excess of 100kN which is why all pianos for the past 150 years have been built around large and very heavy cast iron frames. The concept of introducing a low mass and high strength material in an acoustic environment was identified as a significant challenge right from the start of the project but using advanced modelling techniques grown from modern OEM development, it has been a complete success which is now being confirmed by the prototype.

Click HERE for the Retrac Composites website.

Click HERE for the Hurstwood Farm Piano Studios website which presents the use of carbon fibre in Pianos.

Click HERE for the SAATI composites website.