JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009 - 26

FEATURE “Marine” Process A manufacturing solution for series production of boats Working with the huge moulds required for fibreglass boat hulls and decks is a formidable challenge that is tackled on a daily basis in boat manufacturer Jeanneau’s modelling shop at Les Herbiers. Jeanneau joined the Bénéteau group in 2003. he expertise of the world’s leading pleasure boat builder is well established. While others have built larger or using more advanced materials, what we are talking about here is sustained, just-in-time series production, and not just the production of a few ocean racing prototypes or a special yacht. Large or small (10-60 feet), the quality must be impeccable, reproducible and consistent across the range of models and at highly variable production rates. T Focus PowerMILL, a comprehensive manufacturing solution PowerMILL is the world’s leading specialist NC CAM software for the manufacture of the complex shapes typically found in the toolmaking, automotive and aerospace industries. Key features include a wide range of strategies, including the latest high-efficiency roughing, high-speed finishing, and 5-axis machining techniques; exceptionally fast calculation times; and powerful editing tools to ensure optimum performance on the machine tool. Precision down to the millimetre With PowerMILL, you can adhere closely to the numerical model. PowerINSPECT OMV PRO uses laser and mechanical sensors for on-machine verification of shapes to allow accurate surfacing of the machining blank or the pattern to be reworked, making it easy to manage the best fits and get a quick start without monopolizing the machines for too long. PS Fixture optimizes the probing and aligning procedures for the parts to be machined. A 60-foot hull is not easily positioned on these huge gantry-type machines to obtain the required accuracy to under a millimetre, so a simulation allows verifying that the conditions for machining all surfaces correctly are right. The pattern should allow building one or more moulds or counter moulds. The mould serves to shape the deck or the hull, so it should be as smooth-surfaced as possible, and adhere to the pattern or prototype numerical data file while factoring in extra ply thicknesses or manufacturing constraints. The machining shop works in three 8-hour shifts, and the planning department in two teams, using three Delcam stations. Once a new pattern has been validated, it takes only 4½ months to bring it to market. More information: www.delcam.com In the mould shop, a team sprays up chopped glass fibre and catalyzed polyester resin on a counter mould for a speedboat deck. 6,500 moulds per year Jeanneau’s modelling shop at Les Herbiers develops and builds the matched moulds, and then conducts trials before the moulds are used for production. This involves creating a computer file based on the validated pattern, and testing feasibility. The Bénéteau group works with Delcam’s PowerMILL computeraided manufacturing (CAM) software. Nearly all production is based on numerical models, and 40% of the moulds used are machined in house. The productivity gains are considerable for a shop that handles 6,500 moulds per year. Instead of months, it takes only eight days to obtain a pattern, and revisions are made easy with PowerSHAPE. Because there are so many versions and options for these extralarge parts, it is often necessary to make changes to the hull and/or deck that can be fairly extensive – e.g. requiring a special mould for a hatch cover or a different transom shape – without justifying a complete model revision. 26 jec composites magazine / No51 September 2009

http://www.delcam.com

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #51 - September 2009