Elandra Yachts rolls out leading technologies

Luxury motoryacht builder Elandra Yachts has adopted leading edge technologies to improve safety and productivity in the development its first model, the Elandra 5 sports yacht.

The company has designed and developed a steel mould cradle, believed to be the first of its kind among luxury yacht builders in Australia. The cradle will be employed to laminate the major components of the boat.

The steel cradle holds the major moulds in place, suspended between two tripods. Each tripod has a hydraulic lift to raise and lower the cradle up to one metre as well as to spin it through 360 degrees. Wheels allow the mould to be moved around the shop floor while wheel locks hold the entire structure firmly in place through the lamination process.  

“This allows the laminator to stand firmly on the shop floor,” explained General Manager Grant Senior. “Existing technologies used by major builders require the laminator to climb into the mould. Our system is both safer and more productive. The laminator can move the mould both for comfortable height and optimum angle for every stage of lamination. This system also prevents any chance of fume build-up.”

The company has also purchased the latest in lamination systems.

“This new machinery has fewer moving parts than all its predecessors,” said Senior. “It provides us with moment-by-moment read-out on materials flow and will give the laminator the ability to lay up the hull to within one percent accuracy of optimum materials usage.

“The result is the strongest, lightest hull that can be built.”

Moulding work has begun at the company’s Gold Coast yard and lamination will begin early in the New Year.

“All systems will be in full swing when we return from the Christmas break,” said Elandra Managing Director Luke Durman. “We remain on track to launch the first boat mid-year 2014.”