Composite Sails
In 2009, North Sails unveiled 3Di, its latest technology. Rather than laminating scrims and strings, 3Di sails are constructed using an automated tape-laying head that applies synthetic fibers (currently, aramid/Spectra or carbon/Spectra) in the form of pre-preg filament tapes, each just one filament thick. The robotic head applies many layers of these tapes in an interlocking pattern on an articulated mold, following projected load paths that are calculated by the sail’s designer. These tapes are then vacuum-bagged and heat-laminated, fusing together the fibers to create a “composite” structure, as opposed to a film “sandwich,” in which the straight, untwisted filaments are less prone to moving under load than a bundle of twisted filaments.
The result is an almost sheet metal-like cloth with minimal stretch in any direction.
Flynn, however, disagrees, arguing that there’s minimal weight savings over laminate sails and that while 3Di sails have a “sweet spot” where the sail’s shape perfectly matches the wind velocity, this exactness limits each sail’s effective range. Flynn adds that the sails are expensive, stiff, and no more durable than their competition.
“While promising in some regards, the downsides seem to outweigh the potential gains,” says Flynn, adding that 3Di is an evolution of Cuben Fiber technology, which was developed in 1992 by Bill Koch’s America3 Cup syndicate. “When Quantum looked at the process eight or nine years ago, we decided against pursuing it.”
Graphene?
Reply With Quote
