Bonding components on world’s largest catamaran

The boat will be used by the Polish yachtsman Roman Paszke in his attempt to establish a speed record around the world in the Jules Verne Trophy competition. Araldite 420, a two-component epoxy adhesive that is particularly resistant to moisture, is being used as a primer to provide adhesion with the laminating system. Other Araldite products are employed throughout the boat - to bond the deck body to the hull, to fill and reinforce honeycomb cells, etc. "All of the materials that we use have to meet very tough criteria", says Per Warn, chief executive officer of Marstrom. "Not only do they have to be waterproof and resistant to salt water but temperature is always an issue. Many black carbon fibre parts on the boat reach very high temperatures in the sun. In addition, component and joint strength also are critical - the stress in joints often reaches maximum levels due to bending or to shear strength. "Most of our marine components are used at the highest levels in competitive sports and we have been producing them since 1985 using Araldite products which meet the very demanding environmental conditions. In addition, recently we have invested in new mixing and dispensing equipment which has led to an improvement in our processing times." .