Masters of the mould
What do a large fibreglass cow, a racing yacht’s lead bulb and an amphibious aeroplane have in common? And, perhaps more pointedly, what are they doing in a boating magazine?
What do a large fibreglass cow, a racing yacht’s lead bulb and an amphibious aeroplane have in common?
Well, they’re just a few of the projects that have been through the engine room of Auckland’s Jackson Industries, a specialist composite engineering and precision machining company.
Exploring the company’s project resumé is a bit like wandering through a high-tech Victorian emporium – you never know what you’ll find. That versatility notwithstanding, Jackson’s focus is, in fact, weighted heavily to water. No matter how esoteric, projects usually have a marine angle. The cow’s a case in point.
The massive 6.5m-high bovine was recently unveiled in Morrinsville where she’s destined to become an iconic symbol of the Waikato’s primary industry. A bit like Ohakune’s carrot and Gore’s trout.
Built by Hamilton composite engineering/boatbuilding company Matcraft Industries, the Mega Cow is the brainchild of the late Laurie Maber – a former Morrinsville mayor. He wanted to leave the town with an appropriate dairy legacy, and approached Matcraft’s owner – Mat Bailey – for help. Matcraft manufactures a range of Saronic Towboats – popular among skiing and wake-boarding enthusiasts.
Jackson’s involvement came with translating the concept into reality – machining the moulds for the cow. “In reality, the project was a team effort,” says Jackson project manager Cam Walker. “Structural specialists Gurit calculated the loads the beast was likely to wear – both from cleaning crews climbing aboard as well as the wind. But we had to figure out how to actually build it.
“The solution saw multiple blocks of polystyrene joined together and then machined into female moulds. The cow was split down its
centre line – left and right – and machined in two parts, with separate moulds for the horns and legs. All up, about 20 mould sections were created.
“They all came together at Matcraft’s site where the final vinyl-ester laminate was produced – in two halves – before assembly.
LEAD BULB
A precision-machining project, it involved an existing bulb in need of ‘re-shaping’. The bulb’s from Ice-breaker – a Ker 40 well-known among Auckland’s racing crews. Her owner wasn’t happy with her performance in certain conditions and, in conjunction with Pete Geary, the owner of Auckland company Composite Boats NZ, elected to reconfigure the fin and bulb.
“The original bulb’s profile was less than ideal,” says Paul Flett, another of Jackson’s project managers. “And rather than build new patterns and cast a new bulb, the owner decided to machine the old one – shaving some 400kg from its two-tonne weight – with a sharper profile. The re-shaped bulb now hangs off a new fin, 400mm longer than the original.”
Machining the complex curves of the new bulb was relatively straightforward, he says, thanks to the five-axis CNC centre. It also worked out cheaper than designing, buying lead and casting a new bulb from scratch.
“This project, reflects the importance of collaboration and trust that come with a long-standing relationship.
AMPHIBIOUS FLIER
This float plane is being built by Hamilton’s Vickers Aircraft. Jackson has machined the moulds and plugs for the plane’s carbon composite hull and other interior components.
“This project,” says Walker, “reflects the importance of collaboration and trust that come with a long-standing relationship. We began by finding the best material to use for the moulds. In some cases we opted for MDF because it was the most cost-effective and efficient material for the job, but other components required finer compounds for precision components, or materials more suitable for a mass production scenario.”
CNC machining is also useful for producing pre-cut plywood frames used in many kitset boat builds. “We typically receive the DXF files and a couple of pallets of marine grade plywood,” says Walker.
“Usually, the layout of the frames has been ‘pre-nested’ for each sheet of plywood – the shapes have been arranged to optimise the cut-outs from each sheet – but if not we do the pre-nesting. Each frame is labelled and delivered to the builder – and often they’re DIY builders.
“The frames for Stitch-up – the 8.25m Dan Leech-designed power cat built by Diyers Benos and Bex Costello – were cut in our facility.”
He adds that EVA foam is also proving to be a popular product among Jackson’s customers. “Many of the inflatables manufactured by Lancer Industries, for example, sport EVA foam fenders shaped by CNC routers.
“Lancer also offers its customers the ability to personalise their new boats, by cutting logos and names into the deck-tread material.” The deck-tread can also be embellished and adorned with grooves to resemble traditional timber decking. And in one case an enthusiastic angler asked Lancer for a fish-measuring ruler to complement the rest of his vessel’s décor.
The deck-tread used for the floor on Surf Lifesaving boats is equipped with grooves to offer more secure footing in rough seas.
HELM PANELS
The high-tech dashboards adorning many superyacht helm stations also begin life at Jackson. The products are made from a translucent acrylic material, designed for back-lighting and embedded switches.
“It’s fairly demanding, high-precision work,” says Flett, “because the tactile ‘feel’ of the surface is crucial.” Premanufactured circuit boards are fitted to the back of the dash panels, and a specialist labelling company applies the graphic overlay to the front face.
“Our range of CNC technology allows us to tackle what often appear to be unusual or even improbable projects,” says Walker, “but the expertise runs a bit deeper than mere technology. We always adopt the concept-to-finished product approach. We have the skills to advise and guide our clients to the best, most cost-effective solution to their requirements.” BNZ