User:TUFFboat

Roplene®

Roplene® is a trademarked name that expresses both the material and process used by Triumph Boats to create the World’s Toughest Boat. The material component of Roplene® is a custom compounded plastic that consists of a linear low density polyethylene Hexene copolymer base combined with various additives such antioxidants, UV protection and coloration agents. The process component of Roplene® is rotational molding using computer controlled ovens specifically designed for the rotational molding of powerboats.

Rotational molding is a production process that utilizes metal molds and large ovens. Powdered plastic (typically polyethylene) is put into the hollow interior of a metal mold. The mold is moved into an oven, rotated in multiple axes and heated. When the mold is heated in the oven, the powered plastic begins to melt and adhere to the interior surface of the mold building up as the mold is rotated. Once all the material has fully coated the molds interior surface, the mold is moved into a cooling area. When the mold and boat are cool enough the mold is opened and the finished boat is removed.

Rotational molding has become the dominant production technology for producing canoes and kayaks, fundamentally replacing aluminum and fiberglass construction in human powered water craft. While several overseas powerboat builders, including Fun Yak in France and Polycraft in Australia use rotational molding to produce powerboats, Triumph Boats is the sole US based manufacturer using rotational molding to produce powerboats and also produces the largest boats using this technology.

Producing a boat using rotational molding allows the boat’s hull and deck to be fashioned as a single unitized member rather than two separate components that need to be screwed or glued together. In addition, the stringers are integrated into the hull and not bolted-in.

Roplene® offers several interesting properties for constructing boats…

Roplene® has five times the impact resistance of fiberglass. Roplene® is a homogenous polymer, rather that a layered material like fiberglass, the color is solid throughout the material allowing easy repair of scratches and scrapes using sandpaper. Roplene® is a thermoplastic and can be welded like steel or aluminum. Roplene® is inert and will not chemically react to seawater, therefore will never blister, peel or fade. Roplene® is inherently flexible and absorbs vibration and shocks. Roplene® is inherently buoyant and floats unlike fiberglass or aluminum.

References

Turn, Turn, Turn, John Page Williams, Boating Magazine - September 2002

Firm Takes Rotomolded Boats to New Level, Frank Antosiewicz, Plastics News – August 13, 2007

Boatbuilders Breaking the Mold, Michael Hauenstein, Soundings – August 2007

External Links

Triumph Boats