Paste assists trimaran construction COMPOSITE CONSTRUCTION
developed by Huntsman Advanced Materials especially for marine applications. It enables marine model makers and shipbuilders to produce almost any marine model from large hulls and decks (up to 36m in length) to highly specialist applications for racing and competition craft. Now, RenPaste XD 4618-1 R/H has been
A
used in one of the marine world’s most revolutionary projects, the Hydroptère ‘Flying’ trimaran. With the wind blowing at only a few knots,
the Hydroptère concept trimaran lifts up, just grazing the surface of the water with the tips of its wings. As this greatly reduces the friction from the water and waves, it gives the impression that it is flying on the water. RenPaste is being used to build the plugs
utilised for mould production of the sailing boat’s wing f loats by the Swiss-based composite prototyping consultancy, Décision
SEAMLESS modelling paste (SMP), RenPaste XD 4618-1 R/H, was
SA, which has previously built prototypes for future winners of the Whitbread Round the World Maxi-yacht race and the America’s Cup. N o r m a l l y ,
ma r i ne plugs are made f rom t r a d i t i o n a l mater ials such as wood and it is a highly skilled, l a b o u r - , a n d t ime - i nt e n s ive task. However, by using RenPaste SMP combined with the latest CAD controlled milling technology, significant time and development cost savings can be achieved. The plug design for the Hydroptère f loats is broken down into a number of component par ts a nd conve r t ed into milling data f iles which guide the CNC milling machine. These CAD f i les are t ransmit ted f rom Décision to its CNC s u b c o n t r a c t o r , Imhof & Fi l s , which uses them t o ma c h i n e slightly undersized polystyrene foam (EPS) cores of each plug component. RenPa s t e XD
RenPaste XD 4618-1 application using a 5-axis CNC machine.
4618-1 R/H is then applied by a
The finished plugs ready for moulding.
special mix/meter machine over the EPS cores and left to cure at room temperature. Once cured, the RenPaste model is dimensionally stable with a solid surface particularly well-suited to CNC milling. For the Hydroptère plug, the SMP layer is milled back in two passes (rough forming plus finishing) to produce the final surface of the plug components. The parts are then delivered to Décision
where they are sanded, f inished, and bonded together to form the complete plug. The plug is then prepared for mould production and infused under vacuum. So far, the RenPaste has proved much
more durable than low density foam plugs and it is easy to machine, producing an except ionally high quality surface finish. It produces dimensionally stable, highly accurate parts and has low vacuum permeability - very impor tant for our vacuum moulding processes. The SMP plugs were used to construct
the component moulds at Décision which were then used to make the f inal parts, delivered to the Hydroptère project. Total timescale for the project was under six months.
Joint company ensures advanced composites A
NEW company, made up of Formula Yacht Spars and Green Marine, both of
the UK, has been formed. The new company will manage the combined activities of the two companies, producing one of the companies most technically advanced composite companies in Europe. The company will offer a total package
and some of the most integrated thinking in yacht building and performance. Services and products include the design and build
of cruising and racing yachts, and the latest technology in spars, which range from aluminium cruising masts to America's Cup state-of-the-art carbon masts, booms, and poles. Both Formula and Green Marine have
extensive experience in both the quality cruising yacht and high performance yacht markets, including the America's Cup and the Volvo Ocean Race. The management teams at both Formula
and Green Marine will integrate within the newly formed Formula Group, which comprises the marine companies; Formula Racing, Formula Custom Spars, Formula Production Spars, Formula Development, Formula Technical Services, and the non marine sector company of Formula/Green Structures. Also included in the Group are Green Marine's Custom racing yachts, lifeboats-new build, lifeboats-refit, fast cruising, and the CNC facility.
54
SHIP & BOAT INTERNATIONAL MAY/JUNE 2007
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72