Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Sailmaking; String Sails, Doyle New Zealand

North 3DL technology is the name identified with molded sails using precisely laid fiber orientation. Unfortunately they haven't put anything up on YouTube. So we have a YouTube of Doyle Sails NZ competing technology, Statis 002, making "string sails". In a warehouse huge gantries lay down high modulus fiber and a massive infared computer contolled heating platen activates the glue and melts mylar sheets. String sails don't apply much to the dinghy sailor who is still using woven Dacron, but fascinating nevertheless.

There is nothing to be seen of the traditional sailmaker with the palm and thread. I like the high five the two workers give to each other at 1:55 into the video after the huge heating contraption finishes a run without setting the place on fire.

No comments: