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| The
Process |
Robotic
arm removing a touring hull
from the Blowmolding machine |
Extrusion
Blowmolding
Prijon’s world-renowned extrusion blowmolding manufacturing
process is unique in the realm of paddle sports. Constructed of high
performance thermoplastic (HTP), the resulting boats are the
strongest, most rigid and durable in the world. How long Prijon
boats will actually last is a question yet to be answered. The first
Taifun we manufactured back in 1983 is still afloat and being
paddled with pleasure by its owner. The equipment used for this
process is massive and complex. The extrusion blowmolding machinery
is over 40 feet tall and weighs 350 tons. The individual kayak molds
used in the blowmolders are each a work of art, being individually
machined from 5-ton blocks of aluminum and fitted with water
cooling, vacuum, hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
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The
actual extrusion and blowmolding processes are controlled by
computer. A customized program specifies temperature, material flow
rate and hydraulic as well as air pressure characteristics of a
given extrusion and molding according to the unique requirements of
each kayak design. The HTP material emerges from the extruder 20
feet above the floor as a tube of taffy-like plastic roughly the
diameter and length of the kayak being molded. The mold halves are
closed around the tube and a bang is heard as air is blown into the
mold at 145 psi. The air pressure forces the tube of HTP to assume
the shape of the inside of the mold. After cooling the mold halves
are split open and a new Prijon kayak hull emerges, ready for
trimming and final outfitting.
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