Introduction
Our team worked with French catamaran manufacturer, Catana Group, at their Haco shipyard in Tunisia as they sought to tackle swirls and pigtails on their moulds which were impacting on the finished pieces.
Recommended Farécla Process for Marine Moulds
Polishing Moulds to Achieve a Mirror Finish – Liquid Option
- Sanding steps P300/P420/P600/P800
- Profile Select with G Mop Twisted Wool Applicator
- Profile Finish with G Mop Lambs Wool Applicator
Polishing Moulds to Achieve a Mirror Finish – Paste Option
- Sanding steps P300/P420/P600/P800
- Profile Premium Paste with G Mop Twisted Wool Applicator
- Profile Finish with G Mop Lambs Wool Applicator
Polishing Finished Gel Coat Pieces
- Profile Advanced with G Mop Twisted Wool Applicator
- Profile UV Wax, if necessary, applied with a microfiber cloth
Conclusion
The main cause of these issues was the use of an automotive compound to be used from P1500, not industrial applications as it did not have enough cut on moulds to remove the defects. The technicians were trying to compensate for the lack of cut from the compound and put too much pressure on the pads; resulting in a bad finish and swirls.
Farécla Profile was tested by Haco/Catana and delivered best results with a better cut and finish for both moulds and finished pieces. That process will not only allow better quality results but increase Haco’s productivity (less re-work) because of the much better finish on the moulds.
As part of the testing, we also compared different products within the Profile range to find the optimal combination for each scenario.
In a comparison between Profile Select + Profile Finish vs Profile Premium + Profile Finish, Haco decided that they would prefer to use Profile Select in most cases and Profile Premium Paste when the moulds were badly damaged.
Featured Products
Profile 100 EXTRA Heavy Cut Paste Compound - commonly dubbed "liquid sandpaper" - is a coarse, aggressive, water-based compounding paste for tough resins and gelcoats.
Profile 200 SELECT Coarse Cut Liquid Compound eliminates sanding marks and heavy defects from production and tooling gelcoat surfaces.
Profile 400 ADVANCED PLUS Fast Medium Liquid Compound eliminates P1500 sanding marks and defects from paint, lacquer, acrylic, plexiglass and gelcoat surfaces, leaving a high gloss.
Profile 700 FINISH Light Cut Polish and Swirl Remover eliminates minor defects and swirls from paint, lacquer and gelcoat surfaces, leaving a mirror shine finish
Profile UV Wax for Hand Application is a thick liquid wax that incorporates special UV absorbers to give up to 3 months protection to gel coats and paints exposed to external weathering.
200 mm Single & Double Sided | The G Mop Twisted Wool Compounding Pad is a 4 ply, 100% wool applicator. It has the highest cut of any polishing applicator.
75 mm, 150 mm & 200 mm | The G Mop Lambs Wool Pad is constructed using natural sheepskin and a velour backing. It gives a high cut and great finish, depending on the product used.
G Plus Finishing Cloths are ideal for quick cleaning and drying jobs. Its microfibre technology grips dust and small dirt particles, and the cloth’s edgeless finish prevents damaging and scratches.