Premium AEROTEC GmbH in Augsburg uses VAP® technology to manufacture assemblies for submarines. The entire sail and the periscope shaft are made using the membrane-assisted vacuum process. The resulting components meet the highest requirements in terms of strength and durability and create only a very low radar signature – irrespective of their actual shape.
The Rhepro 21, a RHEproducible boat designed by Hamburg’s Rhe Sailing Club, is a modern dinghy characterized by high performance potential as well as excellent stability and strength reserves. The lifting keel offers a variable draft for flexibility in the choice of sailing waters and enables a comfortable fit on a trailer. The Rhepro 21 is thus suitable for sport and regatta sailing throughout Europe.
A team from the Academic Sailing Club at Aachen University of Technology (ASV) is fabricating the hull and deck of the Rhepro 21 (construction no. 3) according to the VAP® method for the first time, provided technical support by the university’s Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV). As has become apparent, the VAP® membrane system by Trans-Textil GmbH and the process engineering support furnished by Composyst GmbH enable swift implementation of the technology, while use of the sailing club’s existing molds avoids the necessity for additional investments.
Thanks to use of the VAP® process, the Rhepro 21 team in Aachen has achieved complete air evacuation over the entire surface of the hull as well as optimum infusion without dry spots (the deck is to be made in a second step). Along with offering a high degree of process stability, the VAP® method is proving impressive thanks to the excellent structural properties and non-porous surfaces it delivers.
In comparison to traditional resin infusion methods, the VAP® process enables precise determination of required resin amounts. This, and the fact that it obviates the need for flushing, add up to the required target weight.
