Behind the scenes, ShopBot Tools custom-designs and builds ProDesign’s CNC solutions to ensure smooth sailing.
If pictures are indeed worth about a thousand words each, let’s start this journey via a visual trip to Marseilles, where France’s ProDesign 3D customizes designs and builds boats, catamarans and yachts for dozens of leading boatbuilders, and also designs and builds boat-building kits for motorboats and sailboats. Here’s the ProDesign 3D racing team and their boat that they designed and built, entirely milled with their ShopBot CNC routers…
Here are some other finished boating projects from ProDesign 3D…
Johan Hallin, ProDesign’s Manager and Technical Sales Consultant, said, “I think what makes us stand out is, we are well-suited for any type of application and find a specific solution for our customers every time. One of our strengths is that we know well the needs of our customers and have the tools and expertise to realize their vision.”
Founded in 2001, ProDesign 3D has expertise in five main areas: engineering studies, 2D etching / prototyping, 3D volume machining, production of composite parts, and complete yachting maintenance and repair.
The company’s engineering experts will study your project from initial idea through the modeling, use 3D modeling software. They perform functions such as hull and stability studies, calculate structures and strength of materials. At this stage they provide conception, design, modeling, prototyping, and feasability studies.
They will often use 2D milling to begin a physical model of the parts…
ProDesign’s machining center is equipped with three custom-built ShopBot CNC routers so that they can precisely perform volume cutting of various materials such as PVC and polyurethane foams, plastics, woods and other non-metallic materials. Some examples of materials that they make are masts, V-booms, full booms, master hull pilotines, catamaran hulls and beams. Here are some samples of their machining process…
Johan noted, “Back in 2001 we built our own table (5.2 ‘ x 19.7’) for a ShopBot CNC router, which they custom-designed for us with a 3-foot Z axis. The tall axis allows us to, among other tasks, to machine 3D foam inserts for catamarans; we also use a 1-foot Z for cutting panels. Sallye and Jamie from Shopbot traveled to France to help us with the assembly and to train our team in the initial operation of the ShopBot tool.”
“We worked 6 years with just this one ShopBot tool. As the demand for our custom services grew, we then bought a ShopBot PRS Alpha (6.5 ‘ x 13’ x 1.6 ‘), continuing to use the first tool for larger pieces. In 2013 we bought a third ShopBot, the PRS Alpha (5′ x 10′ x 1’).”
Johan said, “With our three ShopBot machines we can be very responsive to the demands of our customers, who are always pressed to have their parts quickly!” Learn more about ProDesign’s processes and services at www.prodesign3d.com
To see other examples of ShopBot Tools at work in boat building, click here.
Learn more about ShopBot’s CNC tools here.
Give ShopBot a call to discuss your boat production needs, at 888-680-4466.