Van Dusen Spars
Our unique combination of design excellence, engineering
experience, and state of the art aerospace technology make our
carbon spars the best available. Carbon Spars from Composite
Engineering offer the following advantages:
Our carbon spars are custom-designed for each rig by naval
architect, Dr. Ted Van Dusen, using Composite Engineering's library
of design and simulation programs, and 20 years' experience with
composite technology. We can work from your specifications, work
with your designer, or custom design your rig from scratch. We also
retrofit production sailing boats.
We manufacture our carbon spars using a triaxial braiding
technology so responsive that we can custom design your spar
laminate virtually inch-by-inch, thereby optimizing spar strength,
stiffness, and weight. Triaxial braiding also permits very precise
fiber placement in the required directions.
Each layer of our triaxially braided spars is seamlessly woven to
achieve exactly the desired size and shape. During the weaving
process, the spar is simultaneously impregnated with the same
high-performance aerospace epoxy found in prepreg composites.
Triaxial braiding also accommodates variations in composition, wall
thickness, and number of layers at different heights and positions
on the spar.
We use autoclave heat and pressure curing, in conjunction with
vacuum bagging, to remove all excess resin and to ensure void-free
laminates and superior compaction. This process produces
ultra-lightweight spars free from the defects that cause stress
concentrations and failure in the resin matrix.
The superior strength and stiffness-to-weight ratio of our
triaxially braided carbon spars permit us to create a wide range of
sophisticated stayed, unstayed, or semistayed rigs that match boat
stability and sail shape. Triaxial braiding technology allows the
production of a variety of circular, oval, D-shaped, complex
furling, and wing masts. We can directly integrate composite
mastheads, spreaders, tangs, and other fittings into the overall
mast design for greater strength.
Our highly efficient triaxial braiding process is far more
economical than other high-performance carbon spar manufacturing
processes. Braiding eliminates the high purchase cost of prepreg,
the associated cutting and trimming waste, and the overlaps
unavoidable with any tape or fabric lay-up.
