Marlow/Norsemen Soar Ahead in RIVAT Infusion Technology

Marlow/Norsemen, working in their own in-house testing facility has designed, developed, perfected and implemented yet another stunning advance in state of the art yacht building. Marlow/Norsemen has developed the Full Stack Infusion© process for the complete hull or any component in the yacht manufacturing process, eliminating the possibility of contamination in secondary bonding processes in the important structures.

In the majority of failures found in FRP products, the cause is traced to difficulties encountered in the secondary laminating process. Secondary laminating is described as laminating over a cured surface previously laminated. By infusing the entire hull, numerous secondary processes are eliminated. This exciting new development allows the entire structure to be infused, from outer skin coat through coring to inner skin, in one shot infusion. Moreover, Full Stack Infusion© saves approximately 2,000 lbs. in an average yacht, while providing far greater strength than could ever be achieved using common methods.

It is believed that this is a first in Infusion Technology, other than on very small parts such as lids, hatches, etc. In so doing, secondary lamination operations that risk contamination are eliminated, resulting in a textbook perfect laminate of far greater strength than could be achieved by any other method currently known.

Marlow/Norsemen has, since Hull Number 1, produced yachts using their own proprietary and advanced methods, developed in house and working with such industry titans as Corecel, DuPont, Swanson, Cook, and other industry leaders. Beginning in 2000, with highly advanced vacuum bagging techniques utilizing elaborately designed and developed tooling far beyond the industry norm, Marlow has continuously moved the bar ever higher in every area of fine yacht building.

“RIVAT”© (Resin Infused Vacuum Assisted Transfer) was developed over a 5 year period. This process delivers the precise amount of resin into the laminate, no more, no less, resulting in a textbook percentage of resin to fiber content. The specifically designed and engineered fabrics and coring materials are cut on templates to fit the hull shape precisely and installed. The infusion process exerts enormous pressure per square foot on the laminating process to create a laminate that is more like Titanium. This is superior especially when compared to a normal hand rolled lay-up containing excess resin, generic general purpose fabrics and the process of rolling with mops, rollers and other low technology products. While both methods work, the quality and strength of the final product are not remotely similar. In high technology Aerospace industries, where failure is not an option, we note the rapid movement to infusion technology, abandoning the 1950s methods of hand laminating.

To augment this type of construction Marlow/Norsemen specifies top quality modified epoxy resins in lieu of general purpose polyester. Resins are what bind the yacht together, gluing the fabrics to one another. Their adhesive quality is what determines whether or not the glue will match the strength of the exotic laminates used. While it is true that there are thousands of polyester yachts built to date, neither the USA, nor the UK military will award an adhesive rating to Polyester, as its qualities are so low compared to epoxies, phenolics, etc.

Using these ground breaking infusion processes, Marlow/Norsemen has begun production of the new Marlow Explorer 86 Cockpit Motor Yacht for an experienced owner, his second Marlow Explorer. Slated for debut in early 2008, this stunning new entry has confirmed retail orders through hull number six. Bureau Veritas has certified this structure to class under the VERITASTAR program, a further testament to the integrity of the yacht by meeting all the requirements set forth by this respected ship classification society.