|
Why your next spar should be a carbon spar: If you want a lightweight, high strength, durable rig, then you should seriously consider carbon spars! |
|
|
Read
how Bill Southworth's Barbara Ann was given a new life with a new carbon rig
from Composite Engineering.
|
| Here are the advantages of carbon Spars: | |
| Stiffness-to-weight-ratio: | |
| The stiffness to weight ratio of carbon spars is more than twice that of comparable aluminum spars. The weight of carbon spars is about one-half the weight of aluminum spars, and carbon spars are considerably stronger. | |
| Handling: | |
| Lightweight carbon spars lower the center of gravity and reduce the pitching moment, so carbon spars substantially improve vessel stability, ease of handling, and safety. | |
| Performance: | |
| In favorable conditions, carbon spars can carry a larger sail area for greater speed. When sails are reefed down, carbon spars improve drive through rough seas and increase stability by up to 15 percent. | |
| Durability: | |
| Carbon spars afford significantly increased durability and longevity. They are far more fatigue-resistant. They will not corrode, and they are easier to maintain and repair than wooden or aluminum spars. |
|
Why Composite Engineering should build your next spar! Our unique combination of design excellence, engineering experience, and state of the art aerospace technology make our carbon spars the best available. Carbon Spars from Composite Engineering offer the following advantages: | |
| Excellence in Design and Engineering: | |
|
Our carbon spars are custom-designed for each rig by naval architect, Dr. Ted Van Dusen, using Composite Engineering's library of design and simulation programs, and 20 years' experience with composite technology. We can work from your specifications, work with your designer, or custom design your rig from scratch. We also retrofit production sailing boats. |
|
| Laminate Optimization: | |
| We manufacture our carbon spars using a triaxial braiding technology so responsive that we can custom design your spar laminate virtually inch-by-inch, thereby optimizing spar strength, stiffness, and weight. Triaxial braiding also permits very precise fiber placement in the required directions. |
|
| Braiding Technology: | |
|
Each layer of our triaxially braided spars is seamlessly woven to achieve exactly the desired size and shape. During the weaving process, the spar is simultaneously impregnated with the same high-performance aerospace epoxy found in prepreg composites. Triaxial braiding also accommodates variations in composition, wall thickness, and number of layers at different heights and positions on the spar.
|
|
| Curing Technology: | |
|
We use autoclave heat and pressure curing, in conjunction with vacuum bagging, to remove all excess resin and to ensure void-free laminates and superior compaction. This process produces ultra-lightweight spars free from the defects that cause stress concentrations and failure in the resin matrix.
|
|
| Choice of Rig Configuration: | |
|
The superior strength and stiffness-to-weight ratio of our triaxially braided carbon spars permit us to create a wide range of sophisticated stayed, unstayed, or semistayed rigs that match boat stability and sail shape. Triaxial braiding technology allows the production of a variety of circular, oval, D-shaped, complex furling, and wing masts. We can directly integrate composite mastheads, spreaders, tangs, and other fittings into the overall mast design for greater strength.
|
|
| Economy: | |
|
Our highly efficient triaxial braiding process is far more economical than other high-performance carbon spar manufacturing processes. Braiding eliminates the high purchase cost of prepreg, the associated cutting and trimming waste, and the overlaps unavoidable with any tape or fabric lay-up. |
|
| To Order your Carbon Spar: Call Composite Engineering Inc. Phone: 1-978-371-3132 Fax: 1-978-369-3162 Or E-Mail: customerservice@vandusenracingboats.com |
