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Genmar, the largest
privately-held independent boat builder in the world, has lifted
the veil of secrecy to formally introduce one of the most advanced
fiberglass manufacturing facilities in the world, a 100,000 square
foot plant capable of producing 10,000 boats per year.
Building on the tradition of the Little Falls, Minnesota,
home of the Larson and Glastron divisions, Genmar has successfully
integrated the Virtual Engineered Composite (VEC) technology into
the fiberglass boat manufacturing process.
The revolutionary new VEC process uses a unique
two-part closed-mold “cell” concept, in which complex fiberglass
parts are formed in a floating mold supported by the water pressure
in a surrounding vessel. Computer control of the composition and
injection of all resins and catalysts assures optimum accuracy within
the molding process, with more than 500 variables constantly monitored
by sensors within the mold. The process controls the temperature,
viscosity, flow rates, mass density, gel times and peak exotherms,
resulting in fiberglass parts that are cured in consistently optimal
conditions.
In layman’s terms, each hull and deck section of
any particular boat model will be virtually identical to every other
component produced in that cell. During the “beta” testing phase,
the VEC plant produced 1,000 boats, with a variance in weight of
16 ounces throughout the production run. (Top)
Not only does the new manufacturing concept enhance
the quality of the fiberglass components, the VEC process reduces
the time required to create a hull from eight hours to just 35 minutes
- a revolution in fiberglass manufacturing that frees plant staff
from the tedious tasks involved in the more conventional processes.
The VEC hull incorporates a stringer system and boat floor in a
single part, incorporating the backing plates for mounting the engine
and major components. Each hull and deck section is trimmed by a
robotic router/driller to a tolerance of 1/1000th of an inch. This
assures the accuracy of installation of virtually every component
used in the boat. The seamless unified hull, sole, flotation and
stringer is structurally strong, quiet, and less prone to vibration.
The use of molded-in pieces of closed cell structural urethane in
the VEC system eliminates air pockets, and the resulting risk of
structural weakness and water contamination.
In practical terms, when all the boats of a particular
model are created with this level of accuracy, the balance, handling,
and durability of each boat can be engineered with extreme precision.
Genmar is so confident that the VEC process will produce superior
quality, durability and performance that the Larson and Glastron
boats with VEC hulls carry a lifetime warranty transferrable to
the second owner. (Top)
From a manufacturing viewpoint, the VEC process
presents a range of technological advancements within the fiberglass
industry. The VEC cells, which are self-contained and can theoretically
be shipped and installed in factories anywhere in the world, utilize
molds which can be created in days rather than months, at a fraction
of the cost of the traditional components. After producing hundreds
of hulls, the VEC molds can be recycled, dramatically reducing the
environmental impact of the traditional fiberglass manufacturing
process.
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(The VEC molding cell.)
During the VEC process, the closed cell manufacturing
procedure maximizes the efficiency of the chemical reactions, and
eliminates the escape of chemicals which may be harmful to the environment
and dangerous for the plant workers. More than 90% of the styrene
emissions found in traditional fiberglass plants have been eliminated
in the VEC process. The VEC plant operates with virtually no trace
of the odours, residues, and airborne particulate typically found
in a fiberglass manufacturing facility. As an added benefit, the
process is virtually wood-free, reducing the consumption of valuable
forest assets and the creation of wood wastes.
One might logically assume that the creation of
an essentially automated process would reduce employment in the
area, but Irwin Jacobs, Genmar’s Chairman of the Board, has not
only maintained the corporation’s presence in its traditional home
of Little Falls, Minnesota, he has announced plans to expand the
workforce by several hundred as the VEC plant reaches full capacity.
Eight Larson and Glastron boat models, ranging from 17 to 24 feet,
will be built in the VEC plant for model year 2001, with plans to
expand the use of the VEC process to all models 24 feet and under.
(Top)
The new VEC technology will be integrated into additional
sites within the Genmar empire, beginning with the Wellcraft plant
in Florida in 2001. VEC will be utilized for the manufacture of
high volume models, where uniformity of production is essential
to manufacturing efficiency. It is unlikely that the process will
be used for major components of larger offshore boats, due to the
low production runs.
VEC Technology, Inc. as a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Genmar, will expand the scope of the new process to a wide range
of applications. It is quite likely that VEC components will ultimately
be found within the automotive, residential and industrial appliance,
and RV industries... all stemming from the landmark developments
boaters can now enjoy in Glastron and Larson boats.
Genmar operates nine manufacturing centres in the
United States and Canada, with more than 6,400 employees producing
Aquasport, Carver, Crestliner, Glastron, Hatteras, Larson, Logic,
Lund, Nova, Ranger, Trojan and Wellcraft boats. More than 1,300
retail marine dealers worldwide form the foundation of the Genmar
recreational boating empire. (Top)
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