International Yacht Surveys offer a composites  surveying /inspection service to clients requirements . There are numerous techniques and materials that can be used to produce products using composites.

International Yacht Surveys use thermal imaging to detect hot and cold spots in laminates under vacuum when composite parts or yachts are being manufactured. Thermal imaging can be used for detecting de lamination and moisture in laminates .

The following is a small collection of the most common techniques used in composites manufacturing;

Hand lay-up

Fibres are impregnated with resin by hand using brushes and rollers. The resultant composite is cured at atmospheric pressure, either at room temperature or in an oven.

Spray Up

The spray-up process incorporates chopped glass rovings with catalysed resin and sprays the resultant mix onto the mould surface, with further compaction using rollers if required. Curing is either at room temperature or in an oven.

Vacuum bagging

Vacuum bag moulding has been considered both as an extension to hand lay-up for increased consolidation, as well as a route for moulding co-mingled and prepreg materials. In this process a vacuum bag is placed over the uncured laminate and a vacuum drawn with the use of a pump, the laminate being held under vacuum during room temperature or oven cure.

Boom section under vacuum

Resin Infusion

With resin infusion, a vacuum is used to draw resin through dry fabrics under a vacuum bag. Once the resin has wetted out the fabric, the laminate is cured either at room temperature or in an oven.This method is used for large and small components .

Hull undergoing resin infusion

Autoclave moulding

Prepreg materials are commonly autoclave cured, a process in which the prepreg is consolidated at temperature under pressure and vacuum.

Mast and boom autoclave

Pultrusion

Pultrusion is a continuous process for making constant cross-section profiles. Fibres and fabrics are continuously pulled through a resin bath and into a heated shaped die in which the resin cures to form the shape of the profile.

                                    Mast and boom mandrel                                                                                Mast section off to be finished     

Filament winding

Filament winding is a fabrication technique for creating composite material structures. The process involves winding filaments under tension over a male mould or mandrel. The most common filaments are carbon or glass fiber and are coated with synthetic resin as they are wound.

Video

  Click on the video link to see how filament winding is used. It is exactly the same principle for manufacturing masts and booms. The only difference might be that the manufacture prefers to use pre preg fabrics in the process. 

Compression moulding

Compression moulding is used for both thermosetting and thermoplastic matrices. Material is placed in the lower cavity of a matched tool, the two halves of the tool are brought together and pressure applied to force the material to fill the cavity. In thermoplastic moulding the material is preheated and placed in a warm mould. By contrast, for thermosetting matrices the material is placed into a hot mould and cured under heat.

 Compression moulding products on a yacht looking aft.

       Compression moulding products can be seen on such yachts as a TP52

Composites  on yachts are always being developed  with new ideas technology and materials. International Yacht Surveys liase with designers,composite manufactures and builders allowing us to pass this knowledge onto our clients when a survey or inspection is requested to clients requirements .