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DFS Composites
IGP Priority
Advanced Turbine Technology
Support received
Funding support
Business support
Commercialisation of mould actuation systems for offshore wind blades
Founded in 2015, DFS has established itself as a trusted partner in advanced composite tooling.
DFS offer design, engineering, CNC machining, manufacturing, testing, tooling installation and aftersales support within the onshore wind market.
Their customer base includes the world’s leading wind turbine OEM’s as well as the largest independent blade manufacturers.
Business profile
DFS Composites is a UK-based global tooling solutions and composite part manufacturing company for aerospace, wind energy, and a wide range of industrial applications. Founded in 2015 by former Vestas specialist tooling and process engineer, Feras Yosef, the Southampton headquartered company has carved out a niche in supplying advanced blade mould tooling and turning systems to manufacturers across the world. The company delivers innovative technology and tooling solutions for composite projects across multiple sectors, supported by expertise in design, engineering, CNC machining, manufacturing and tooling services.
FS technologies are applicable to both onshore and offshore wind turbine blades
DFS provides in-house electro-mechanical design services, project management, testing, tooling installation, tooling service, NDT scanning, Blade Rotation and aftersales support.
End-to-end tooling solutions, engineering, CNC machining and composite manufacturing for offshore wind.
DFS currently design, manufacture, install and maintain mould actuation systems for onshore wind blades. These blades are much smaller and lighter than their offshore counterparts. As the function of a mould actuation system is to bring together the two halves of the wind blade mould through lifting, rotating and lowering operations, the length and weight of the mould are of paramount importance.
Through experimental development, finite element analysis (FEA) and innovative design solutions, DFS sought to build on their existing designs and industry experience to develop a mould actuation system capable of serving the larger offshore wind blade mould designs.
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Supported the creation of 22 new jobs in offshore wind, strengthening local employment and industry capability.
Drove major business growth, with offshore wind turnover increasing from £150k to £3m, plus an additional £1.5m in export sales.
Enabled significant innovation, with DFS developing 15 new pieces of offshore wind intellectual property where previously they had none.
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Before
Prior to engaging with OWGP, DFS Composites had established itself as a trusted provider of mould actuation systems for onshore wind blade manufacturing. Building on this expertise, DFS aimed to expand into the offshore wind market by developing an industrial facility and commercialising an offshore version of their existing mould actuation systems for very-large blades. OWGP identified DFS as a promising applicant for its Development Funding programme, recognising that the company’s proposed solutions would drive significant growth in Advanced Turbine Technology. The funding would enable DFS to accelerate product development, prototype and verify new tooling solutions in-house, and position the company to meet the increasing demand for UK-based offshore wind blade manufacturing.
What DFS say
“
As an SME the external, professional support we have received during both OWGP Sharing in Growth Programmes has been invaluable. Gaining insights to key tools to support business transformations and process development is making key differences to how we think, operate and grow. Making changes within an organisation is often challenging but having the Sharing in Growth team to support us has provided us with key skills and confidence to grow with future resilience.
FERAS YOSEF
Director, DFS Composites
