WHAT'S IN A KIT?
1. ABOUT DUFLEX KITS
The Duflex Kit was developed by ATL Composites in Australia. The kits are sold world wide by ATL Composites and in Europe by VDL Composites. A kit can be configured to any design that your designer is willing to create cutting files for, monohull, catamaran, trimaran. It will usually incorporate all of the flat panels in the design, material for strip planking if there are compounded surfaces.
The panels are laminated in a press, the shapes are CNC routed to the cutting files provided by the designer and the panels are joined on the build site with ATL's proprietary "Z Join" system. The kits are also available with the panels already joined end to end up to the length of the shipping container.
Duflex kits can greatly streamline the build process, significantly reducing labour hours for the project, and you have the benefit of laminates manufactured under controlled conditions; achieving a fibre fraction that is very difficult to match with hand laminating techniques.
FULL KIT AND FULL KIT JOINED - WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?
With a standard full kit each of the panels is a separate 1.2m x 2.4m panel as shown in the top row above. These panels are joined on site using the Z press or simply clamped together with battens and screws as shown in this series of construction steps.
For a joined kit as many of the panels as possible are joined prior to shipping, limited only by the length of the shipping container.
The middle row shows a series of 14 panels that have been split at the fifth panel to fit in a 40' container. The split has been located where it doesn't intersect any of the components. A Raku 36 or Raku 40 could be shipped in a 40' container with all panels joined.
The bottom row shows the panels joined prior to cutting the tabs to free the component pieces from the panels. This is the same result whether the kit has been supplied joined or not.
2. Custom Kits
Custom kits can be prepared to order for custom designs, or for the cutting of full size panels for Raku and Sensori Designs where the builder is using his or her own laminating and CNC equipment. Kits can include the entire the vessel or just bulkheads, floor and other flat panels.
One advantage of using your own laminating process and CNC equipment is that you can make the panels full size on a large laminating table, or up to 12m long if they are to be trucked or shipped in a container.
It is strongly recommended that custom made panels be either vacuum laminated or infused.
If you are making your own panels in the boat shop but don't have CNC facilities you could have a set of plywood or mdf templates CNC'd off site to cut the shapes required in the assembly.
LIST OF STANDARD INCLUSIONS FOR DuFLEX KITS
MOULD FRAMES AND CRADLES
Routed MDF board or Plywood for Mould Frames and Cradles
MATERIAL FOR HULL SHOES
Panels for Strips for Hull Bottoms (Omitted if using strip plank cedar.)
Panels for Cabin Tops and Sides
Panels for Wingdeck
Panels for Cabin Soles, Bunktops, BH's
Panels for Interior Furniture
All Panels are Divinycell PVC foam cores with epoxy/glass skins unless stated otherwise.
RESIN SYSTEMS
West System Eposy
West System Hardner
Medium Laminating Epoxy
Laminating Hardener
Thixotropic Laminating Epoxy
Laminating Hardener
Resin Systems may be optimised with Fast or Slow Hardeners depending on your climate.
POWDERS FOR FILLING, FAIRING AND GLUING
ADDITIONAL REINFORCEMENTS
Uni Glass, Triaxial Glass, Double Bias Glass, Double Bias Tapes as required for Tabbing, Local Reinforcements, Laminating over Strip Planking and Kerfing.
ANCILLARY PRODUCTS
Techniglue Manual Mixer Gun
Techniglue Cartridges
Peel Ply Econostitch
Peel Ply Tape 250mm Wide
West System Microfibre Blend
West System Microsphere Blend
West System Microlight
Note that the Ancillary Materials are not included in Kits delivered to the USA
NESTING BOOKS
Each kit is supplied with a nesting book which list all of the individual panels and all of the component parts with numbers that correspond to the numbers that are engraved on the panels and parts in the kit.
DOCUMENTATION
Nesting Book from ATL Composites or VDL
Plans and Associated Documentation from Grainger Designs including the Guide to Composite Yacht Construction
