Written by Kerryn Caulfield, Executive Director, Composites Australia Inc.
While the Divinycell range is widely used in marine, wind energy, aerospace, transport, civil and industrial markets, DIAB’s strength lies as much in engineering expertise as in material supply. More than 30 engineers and designers collaborate across continents, with the Australian team frequently called on for international assignments. This validates their capability while also providing Australian projects with direct input from colleagues in Europe, the United States and Asia.
The Australian engineering group is led by:
- Valerio Corniani – Vice President, Asia Pacific & Managing Director, ANZ, with global experience in marine, aerospace and renewable energy.
- Brenden Egan – Senior Naval Architect, specialising in composite engineering across high-performance vessels and infrastructure.
- Warren “Skip” Miller – Senior Design Engineer (BSME, Florida, USA), marine and architectural composite specialist.
ENGINEERING IN PRACTICE
DIAB engineers approach projects from first principles: structural analysis, material selection, laminate schedules, joining strategies and process optimisation. This work has supported applications as varied as retractable components for autonomous vessels, aerospace structures and competitive racing yachts.
In yacht racing, DIAB has provided long-term engineering support to the Wild Oats programme, contributing to upgrades on both the 100-foot Wild Oats XI and the 66-foot Wild Oats X. To improve trim and performance on XI, the rig, keel and rudder were shifted aft. This required removing an 11.2-metre section from the bow and a 2-metre section from the stern, followed by the addition of a new 13.2-metre bow.
Fabricated by McConaghy Boats in Gosford, the new bow included redesigned internal structures and fittings—developed and executed with close collaboration between engineers, naval architects, and McConaghy’s in-house team. The build demanded extensive analysis and laminate design to ensure structural integrity and optimal performance. As Skip Miller notes:
“Every composite structure lives or dies by its load paths. Our job is to design fastening and joining solutions that keep those loads continuous, reliable and damage-tolerant, whether it’s a racing yacht foil or a patrol vessel hull. The principles are the same: design for the loads, respect the materials and never cut corners.”
DIAB’s expertise extends beyond the water. For the Shipwreck Coast walking tunnel in Victoria, working in collaboration with engineers from Arup (site engineering) and Shapeshift (construction), Brenden Egan designed a composite pedestrian structure for a geologically sensitive site exposed to high winds. Off-site fabrication enabled lightweight components to be transported and assembled efficiently, with finite element analysis ensuring the structure met stringent strength and deflection criteria.
Image: Interior of the Shipwreck Coast walking tunnel, engineered with DIAB composite sandwich panels to deliver lightweight strength and durability in a coastal environment.
Sustainability is embedded in DIAB’s engineering philosophy. Recycled raw materials are incorporated into production and end-of-life recovery strategies are developed with customers. A notable example is the Eco 44 racing yacht, designed by Matteo Polli and built in Estonia. CCG engineers Warren Miller and Brenden Egan contributed to composite and keel fin engineering for ballast and stability and hydrodynamic efficiency. The yacht itself showcases next-generation recyclability. Constructed using Arkema’s Elium thermoplastic resin and DIAB PET cores, the laminates can be recovered by melting the resin matrix—enabling full material recyclability. The Eco 44 placed third at the Garmin ORC World Championships in Tallinn August 15, 2025.
The Divinycell family delivers high compressive and shear strength, fatigue resistance, low resin uptake and consistent quality. Compatibility with polyester, vinyl ester and epoxy systems, together with suitability for hand lay-up, infusion and resin transfer moulding, gives designers significant flexibility. Pre-cut kits streamline production, reduce waste, and ensure repeatability, while finishing services enable the creation of complex curvatures and geometries.
Selecting the right core material defines structural performance, but achieving targets requires a holistic approach. DIAB integrates materials, processes and engineering design to ensure reliable outcomes in demanding environments.
Whether it is a composite bridge deck, a patrol vessel or a racing yacht, DIAB applies engineering intelligence to the challenge of making products lighter, stronger and smarter.
