Precision METYX Plugs for Damen Water Bus Modular Parts.

Damen uses a modular system and standardized parts wherever possible in the design and construction of its Water Bus range of passenger ferries. This modular approach allows individual vessels to be assembled with a build specification that meets the needs of individual clients. By using standardized parts for the design layout and functionality in each module, the result is an assembly process with high productivity, enabling Damen to offer short production lead times for these make to order vessels.

The modular system used by Damen uses standard parts which have been designed and moulded using fiberglass, also commonly known as FRP (fibre reinforced plastic), including the deck and lightweight hull structure of its Water Bus range.  A vital first step is to make high quality, accurately sized plugs or ‘patterns’, which must have stable physical dimensions and a smooth precision machined surface finish. Plugs are then used to fabricate the mould tools subsequently used for moulding standardized FRP modular parts. METYX supplied more than 20 precision CNC machined plugs to Damen Shipyards Antalya for the key modular part tooling needed for its Water Bus vessels.

Composites have been used for many years across the global marine industry for superstructure, deck and interior applications as an alternative to more traditional boatbuilding materials, such as steel or aluminum, due to its light weight and unique material characteristics. Damen’s state-of-the-art composite production yard builds to the highest quality marine standards and follows rigorous quality assurance inspection and testing procedures.

Building vessels using lightweight composite materials reduces fuel consumption over the lifetime of vessels in operation. This helps the Damen Shipyards Group meet its ‘green’ commitment to sustainable growth for people and the planet, in line with its stated ‘E3’ principles: Environmentally friendly; Efficient operations; and Economic viability.

Marko Pas, composite director of Damen:

“Damen Shipyards Antalya ordered more than 20 different plug segments from METYX for a variety of catamaran hull and superstructure modular composite parts; for the large parts, plugs needed to be supplied in sections and then fitted together on the shop floor.  In total the finished plugs sections supplied was calculated to be in excess of 200 sq. m of CNC milled plug surface area.  The CNC milling was to a high level of accuracy, so assembly of each plug could be done quickly since plug parts fitted perfectly together.  We took advice from the highly technical METYX plug specialists, who found ways to overcome problems and provide efficient and safe plug solutions. The Damen operational team benefited from agreed delivery schedules being met and regular communication throughout the project.  The METYX team demonstrated responsiveness and flexibility with its plug production schedule to ensure it remained in step with our mould production plan.”  

“METYX has proved to itself to be a well-organized, technically skilled supplier, able to reliably deliver high quality composite tool plugs on time.”

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