The Permare Group has created a 4.0 mold, a mold that, through the use of an innovative sensor system, guarantees continued monitoring throughout the molding process.

Shipbuilders invest large amounts of money in molds – enormous, rigid matrices, reinforced on the outside by metal cradles, which need to ensure a certain amount of freedom to move throughout the molding process, until the finished product is extracted. These are precious items, some of the most precious tools owned by a shipbuilder.

TOUCHUPS AFTER MOLDING

It is thanks to this equipment that the first part of a new boat is created: the hull. The quality of the hull obviously depends on the quality of the molds. The more imperfections or defects a hull has after it is molded, the more the artisans in the shipyard will have to intervene with body work, like plastering.

This is all work that increases the time frame, the environmental impact of the manufacturing process and, in the long term, it could lead to aesthetic defects cause by the early ageing of the plasterwork, compared to the gelcoated areas where work has not been done.

THE FIRST 4.0 BOAT MOLD

Permare Group wanted to resolve these mold defect issues at their roots. And so they commissioned Sealart, one of the companies who molds for the Group, and Sea Smart Service, a company specialised in creating sensors, to create a 4.0 mold.

The idea, which has already been deposited by the shipyard and made possible thanks to the supervision of Mr Pasquali from Permare, will guarantee that a very large area that is difficult to see with the naked eye, is monitored in all its variations. The mold covers an area of 297 m².

The first 4.0 boat mold stands out for its monitoring system, carried out through the use of sensor networks applied to the mold and a dedicated software, which can identify movement caused by deformation and dilation, as well as temperature. It will also notify of any alteration to the manufactured product caused by seasonal temperature changes, which can be detecting during the molding and resting phases.

HOW DOES THE MONITORING WORK?

Monitoring in the 4.0 mold can highlight points of wear or deformation which could then affect the hull. In this case, it is possible to work directly in the mold, avoiding carrying out the work afterwards with its consequential increased costs and environmental impact. Above all the quality of the item will be guaranteed, as it will be consistent and controlled, and the mold will have a longer life.

AMER 950 WILL USE THE 4.0 MOLD

The firs 4.0 mold is already being used in the construction of the new Amer 950 model, a boat created to celebrate the first 50 years in business. The prototype of the new Amer has already been reserved for a client capable of appreciating the technological innovation that the shipyard in Sanremo is capable of using. With open sourcing in mind, the shipyard will share the results of its innovation during the Monaco Energy boat challenge 2022.