Sandwich Core Composite Materials
Not limited to boat building, there is a rapidly increasing demand for new materials and technology that offer higher strength to weight ratios. This demand has yielded great progress in sandwich core composite technology, affordability, and selection. Sandwich core construction uses lightweight cores with flexural modulus and strength properties far greater than the materials used as skin laminates.
The normal approach to sandwich core composite construction is to laminate the outer skin and then lay the core material into the wet laminate. By laminating the inner skin on top of the core material, it seals it. This 'classic' approach to stiffening composites is used all over, from boat hulls, car hoods and other body parts, aircraft panels etc. The advantage of sandwich core construction is that core thickness may be increased to improve stiffness without substantially increasing weight and cost. An explanation of various core materials follows:
Core-Cell
Core cell is a tough, damage tolerant A500 foam core with a 5 lb. / cu. Ft. density. Excellent for hull and deck core replacement and anywhere that a robust non-wood core is desired. Good ductility, especially good for hull bottoms, will contour to curved shapes.
Divinycell
Divinycell is a cross-linked PVC foam core. Scored sheets with scrim able to conform to curved surfaces. 5 lb./cu. ft. density. Great for hulls and decks.
Foam Core Composite Panels
This material is used to fabricate lightweight interior or exterior parts. Cockpit and salon tables, hatch covers, fish boxes, settee tops, non-structural partitions and bulkheads, swim ladders, sliding doors for fish boats. Anywhere light weight, stiffness and good weather-resistance and durability is required.
Fiberglass Faced Laminated Balsa-Cored Panel
End-grain balsa core with single ply facings of 0/90 degree 1208 fabric applied to each side of the panel. Peel ply on the facings ensure clean, lightly textured surface for secondary bonding with no sanding required in most cases. Applications: To fabricate any interior or exterior lightweight parts. Cockpit and salon tables, hatch covers, fish boxes, settee tops, non-structural partitions and bulkheads, swim ladders, sliding doors for fish boats. Anywhere lightweight, stiffness, good weather-resistance and durability is required.
Marine Countered ProBalsa Plus
Coated, Contourable, Endgrain Balsa Wood. Coated with a thin resin film to enhance bond with epoxy, VE and polyester resin systems. 10 lb. per cubic ft. typical density. Standard core for many OEM boatbuilders. Typical applications include hull and deck core replacement, construction of small parts and inexpensive straight core replacement.