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PRODUCTS: SAIL CLOTH SUPPLIERSMolded Sails?In a recent issue of Seahorse Magazine, Andrew Cape analyzed what he described as "two fundamentally different styles of sail construction." Several sailmakers and sailcloth producers were asked for a response on this article - in 500 words or less! The following is the Dimension Polyant Sailcloth response. We are still surprised that sailors and several sailmakers still believe that these sails are actually molded on a three dimensional surface. When comparing the 3DL versus paneled sails, three Factors should be highlighted:
3DL sails are not molded or shaped on a mold. They are shaped using cut panels and then placed on a mold that Simulates that shape. The initial lay-up of most 3DL sails is done with sections of film that have been cut on a plotter to shape the sail, much in the same way modern racing sails are produced. This is not due to limitations in width of components. These sails need to be cur to induce shape. These sections are taped together and placed on the mold that has been adjusted to match the designed shape of the sail. The mold is essentially a workbench far lamination. The is not "molded" or distorted to provide the sail's shape. The lamination of a 3DL sail is done without the use of high pressure lamination rolls. To insure proper bonding in areas where yarns converge, excess adhesive is used. Load bearing yarns are laid on the mold with significantly less control of tension when compared to modern sailcloth. These yarns are laid down on a curved surface and they have a natural tendency to converge to flatter areas of the sail. The performance of these load bearing fibers has yet to be determined. We work closely with sailmakers in selecting the best fabrics far individual sails. We provide them with detailed performance testing results that include stretch performance under load, performance after impact, actual weight and the peel strength of the laminate bond. Information of this type is impossible to obtain in a 3DL without physically cutting sections out of the sail. Sail performance is directly related to fiber content of the material used to produce the sail. This material, in the form of fabric or fiber within a lamination is the key to the amount of movement or stretch when subjected to constant load. The 3DL sails do feature continuous load bearing fibers that connect the corners of this sail. This concept is not new and has been used in UK's Tape Drive sails for the past eleven years. It is interesting to note that UK sails utilize a highly efficient base material to help the continuous fibers address the ever changing loads in the sail. As a sail cloth producer, we spend all of our efforts to design fabrics and lamination techniques to maximize the load bearing fibers actually to resist stretch. These fabrics are produced using lamination techniques that minimize adhesive, the component in sails that adds nothing to strength. In producing these fabrics, laminating tension on all of the components that go in to the product are carefully regulated to insure the fabric has minimal crimp and maximum resistance to stretch under load. At Dimension Polyant we have seen a 30% reduction in stretch in products of comparable yarn content produced two years ago. We have also developed the Ultra Bond adhesive system to eliminate any stretch that may occur in a seam, minimizing any advantages of a continuous load bearing fiber sail. A sailcloth strip with an Ultra Bond seam exhibits the exact same resistance to stretch as the same strip of fabric without a seam. To summarize, there is no technical reason that :indicates a 3DL will exhibit any performance advantages over a non-sewn sail built from the latest high performance laminated sailcloth styles. |
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