Thermoforming

Thermoforming is the process where core is heated to a pliable forming temperature in an open "oven" to a high-enough temperature that it can be formed into a mold and cooled to a finished shape. Our oven utilizes a long-wave infrared heat -- this is superior to a flame style heat in that instead of heating the material from the outside, it creates a chemical reaction to heat the entire piece quickly and evenly.

Once the entire mold is covered, it is trimmed to form a tightly fitted layer. The core is then removed so that several layers of dry structural laminate can be laid into the mold to form the first layer of outside skin. The core is then refit on top of that, and a final inside skins of structural laminate are laid on top. The entire piece is then bagged and resin infused.

This heating process serves several advantages. Fist, it is faster. Second, it allows us to build a much lighter boat because we can use core with less kerfs -- meaning there are less pockets for resin to pool and add weight to the overall structure.

In this video, our resident expert in composites, Roy Lupien, walks us through the thermoforming process on the 70' we're currently building. Our not-so-expert camera crew decided to stand next to someone using a grinder so there is significant background noise. Keep your speakers low.