NEB's Composite Team utilizes the high strength and light weight of high modulus materials such as carbon, Kevlar, Nomex, and a variety of structural foam cores Deckhouse structures of structural foam, epoxy, and high-modulus fibers offer zero maintenance and aesthetic curves NEB's component composites oven is utilized to cure parts built of pre-preg carbon or Kevlar After New York City's beloved 66-foot tall clocktower suffered three disastrous fires, in 1999 Mayor Rudolph Guiliani asked NEB for a fireproof replica. Using aerospace-grade phenolic resin and a specially-built composites oven to post-cure the structure, NEB's Composites Team constructed the clocktower in six interlocking sections. The new tower fit and was erected in a mere 24 hours. New Yorkers loved it. NEB goes to law school. When Quinnipac College Law School needed several 5-foot-diameter turrets and a 20-foot diameter dome to grace their main building in Connecticut, they turned to NEB's Composites Team. The pieces were built using fireproof phenolic resin and balsa core.

Composite Structures Elegant Solutions Carbon & Glass   The reason why boats and structures built of NEB's high tech construction are successful isn't because of our high tech materials -- it's that fact that our builders are experienced and skilled. "We have a high comfort level with advanced composite process technologies," says Composites department head Donald Watson. "We know how to work with cores, such as Nomex and aluminum honeycomb, PVC and SAN foam, and balsa core, and with fibers from Kevlar to carbon to all grades of fiberglass. And we've developed our own processes, whether we are vacuum-bagging or using wet layup, pre-preg, vacuum-bagging, heat-forming, or pressure-bladder molding." Through careful monitoring of the building process and in-house testing that includes destructive panel testing and chemical evaluation tests, as well as working closely with resin, fiber, and core suppliers, NEB's Composites Team stays ahead of the high-tech curve.       At NEB, fibers, resins, and cores are engineering materials. The compressive strength of carbon fiber, for example, is employed in load-bearing components that require stiffness and a high strength-to-weight ratio. Fiberglass (E-glass, S-glass, biaxial, and unidirectional) is used for less weight-sensitive applications. A Kevlar/glass combination is used to add impact strength to laminates (particularly in bow sections). Cores are specified according to design requirements for a particular core material's properties. For the America's Cup racer Stars & Stripes, for example, we specifed an aircraft-grade aluminum honeycomb core for absolute minimun weight. For a motoryacht's hull and deck, a SAN-type foam core offers structural toughness with signigicant weight savings. For racing yachts, a PVC-type foam yields a lightweight laminate with panel stiffness that minimizes the need for structural members.       NEB's Composites Team is noted for making a structure or component part as light and strong as possible for its intended use. The process begins with super-accurate tooling and proceeds through to meticulous fabrication, resulting in a minimal need for filler and fairing. (In fact, our tooling, using wood and epoxy to build strong molds, is so accurate that other builders depend on us to build their hull and deck plugs.) For pre-preg structures of carbon and Kevlar, we have perfected the science of heat-curing the fiber/core laminate in our composites ovens (the large oven is 90 x 25 feet; the small oven is 20 x 13 feet). We use sensitive measuring equipment implanted in the laminate to monitor temperature levels during the "ramp-up" heating process and extended curing time. To cure the carbon pre-preg laminate of the 80-foot maxiboat Sagamore, for instance, the entire structure was "baked" at 80 degrees Centigrade for a full 12 hours. Our vacuum-bagging techniques (we utilize three vacuum pumps) are just as carefully executed to attain a complete chemical and mechanical bond to form a one-part structure. In addition to custom carbon components such as rudderposts, rudder blades, and steering quadrants, the NEB Composites Team has fabricated everything from pods for Woods Hole Oceanographic remote-controlled undersea research vehicles to lighting fixtures and architectural structures. If if needs to be light, strong, and tough, we can do it! For more information on Composites and New Construction, contact Donald Watson at 401-683-4000 or information@neboatworks.com