One piece hull structure molding

[Okie]

I am interested in learning about the earliest effort at producing a FRP boat hull - closed molded in a single operation that resulted in a finished hull with integral stringers, transverses, floor and boyancy material. Perhaps someone out there can help. Custom or production, professional or ? - it does not matter.

[marshmat]

more details, please? composite manufacturing is a huge field, there were a lot of early attempts... what do you want to know?

[Eric Sponberg]

Okie,

Read the book "Heart of Glass" by my friend Daniel Spurr, published by International Marine/McGraw-Hill in 2000.

To my knowledge, no one has ever built an FRP hull in a closed mold complete with integral stringers, transverses, floor and buoyancy material in a single operation. It would be needlessly complicated, expensive, and probably not successfull because of the geometry of the internal structure, at least on larger boats. There might be some very simplified examples in existence with very small boats.

Eric

[SamSam]

Originally Posted by Okie

molded in a single operation that resulted in a finished hull with integral stringers, transverses, floor and boyancy material

Has this ever been done?

[Tim B]

um, you could do hull and deck with stringers and possibly frames by pressure moulding it, but it is not easy (gravityis a pain) and it is not pleasant to layup in the first place. Also, engines and the like are then difficult to fit I think I'd stick to the normal method myself.

Cheers,

Tim B.

[yokebutt]

Genmar does, they use some pretty expensive tooling though, have a look at their website.

Yokebutt.

[Okie]

But do they? They advertized that construction in 2004 on some Sea Swirl product. If you talk to Sea Swirl, not only do they not have that type construction but they no longer offer VEC boats? I am trying to learn who the pioneer is in this area. I am told there were a couple guys that came to the USA from Lotus that relocated to the Carolinas(?) back in the mid to late 80s and built RIB boats in this manner. Anyone familiar with that effort? There were supposted to be some technical articles published?