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1.
Introduction:
There
are many new advances in technology that are changing the
future of production boat building. Computers, software, and
CNC machines are familiar to most people. However it is the
technology of products that is revolutionizing the way in
which new boats are made lighter and stronger.
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Steps
in custom building:
1.We
are using the latest computer software packages for
design. We offer our clients a complete 3d rendering of
their proposed vessel before any construction material
is purchased. This
offers the customer the ability to visualize the
complete boat before construction takes place. Any
modifications to the design is easy at this stage
without costing the customer money. Changes to a vessel
while in construction is time consuming and costly. We
promote the use of technology from the first step to the
last to save you time and money.
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2.
Technology:
Despite
the benefits of the new technology, products new to the marine
industry are slow to be adopted by the general boating public.
An example is DuFLEX. These
panels consist of a sandwich of balsa or foam core with epoxy
and glass outer skins. The panels are individually
manufactured with the panel thickness being altered to suit
the structural requirements of the design.
DuFLEX panels come in standard flat sheet sizes and are
easily packed and shipped to anywhere in the world. The panels
are supplied by ATL Composites Pty Ltd. in Queensland and have
been around for a number of years. Largely unheard-of by
general consumers these panels have proven to be a superior
product in a wide range of applications including boat
building.
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| 2.We
take the 3d model and prepare a full set of 2d files for
the kitset to be manufactured from. The files are transferred
to ATL composites for further in house composite
engineering on structural laminate requirements. The
final panels are manufactured by ATL and shipped to
Streamline Catamarans. |
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| 3.Once
the pre-laminated DuFLEX panels are pressed together,
the kitset is now ready to be assembled by hand from our
qualified shipwrights. |
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3.
Kitset:
When
you combine high tech 3D software, a CNC machine and DuFLEX
panels, the technology is allowing the designers to produce a
new vessel in kitset form quickly and affordably. The design is
transferred onto the panels, cut out, and ready for assembly by
the builder. Using a kitset allows the builder to minimize the
outlay for plant and machinery. He does not need to build an
expensive plug and mould or even several prototypes of the new
vessel.
A kitset comes complete
with pre-cut composite panels, glass tape, resin, glue, and
temporary frames ready for assembly. The parts are numbered
and have reference marks indicating their location in the
construction process. The skills required to assemble a kitset
are more suited to a Joiner or Cabinet Maker, than a Composites
Technician. All the panels require are some minor fitting and beveling
of the edges and then are glass taped together.
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| 4.
Assembly Line:
A
typical production line of moulded boats is built in stages.
You may have the hulls built in the mould shop by several
workers, then moved to the fit out bay to be joined and then
moved again for the installation of electrics and engines.
Wayne Jones at Streamline Catamarans in Hervey
Bay QLD, takes a completely different approach to production
line assembly. No moulds, only kitsets. He has a small team of highly qualified trades people assemble each of the kitset production boats built. Each
vessel ordered is assigned to a team. The team are dedicated
to the same boat until it leaves the factory. This method
assures the owner that his boat is built to the highest
standards by a small team of very focused tradesmen. And for
the team, every boat launched gives a sense of pride from
start to finish.
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| 4.The
hull is assembled over male frames in the case. The
panels are glass taped around the perimeter and then
faired into the panels using an epoxy fairing compound. |
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| 5.
The cabin is in place, the cat is now ready for
painting. The build time is quick, very quick.
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5.Performance:
DuFLEX
is very light in comparison to the strength that it provides.
This allows the designer to use this lightweight product in
areas where mass amounts of heavy fiberglass mat would have
normally been used to provide laminate thickness. The
lightweight panels reduce the overall weight of the craft by
up to 33% compared with polyester production-moulded boats.
These weight savings open the door to many new benefits.
The
most compelling of these new benefits is that smaller engines
are needed to push the same size craft through the water at
the same speed. Smaller engines make a new boat more
affordable and also allow you to have smaller fuel tanks and
burn less fuel. With the constant increase of fuel prices, a
more efficient environmentally friendly boat is just plain
common sense!
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| 6.New
Designs:
To
achieve the most efficient vessel possible, refinements must
be made as technology progresses. A moulded boat lacks the
ability to do this, as the performance and structure of the
design has been established many years before with the mould.
A kitset boat allows the
designer to refine the production run of boats at any stage.
There is no cost to the builder for altering moulds, or
production line methods. Vessel changes are made on the
computer and sent to ATL Composites for the next DuFLEX kit to
be made. The new boat is assembled by the builder and the
client has the most modern and fuel efficient design possible
at that time.
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| 6.
Every vessel is painted using a two pack polyurethane spray
finish. The quality of our preparation before painting
is reflected in this picture. |
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| 7.
Show time ladies and gentlemen. Every vessel we build is
to the highest standard of workmanship. Our focus on
detail, luxury, and owner satisfaction is our key to success.
This
photo was snapped at the 2005 Sanctuary Cove Boat Show
in Australia. The overall interest in our vessels is
shown here by the crowds that gathered around "
Dream-Cat-Cha" all day. |
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7.Custom
Designs:
Using the kit-set DuFLEX
panels enables builders like Streamline Catamarans to also
offer their clients custom designed boats. While the design of
a boat may change, the construction method of the kitset
remains constant, thereby significantly reducing labor cost
when compared to traditional boat building methods. Any
variation in design is only a matter of the differential in
man-hours needed to assemble a new kit on the assembly line.
As an example, when a client approaches Streamline Catamarans
for a custom design 17m Game Fishing Power Catamaran, the
design is commissioned with the designer and once ATL
Composites receive the design, the kitset could be ready to
assemble in 8 weeks.
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