Metyx and Composite Integration Meet in Antalya

Damen's Catamaran Project Brings Metyx and Composite Integration Together in Antalya Boat manufacturers need a range of solutions to reduce the weight of vessels while increasing impact resistance of the structure and improving mechanical properties. For this reason, composite materials are also ideal solutions for the marine sector. METYX entered the composite sector in 2003 with the production of reinforced fabrics and is now a global Turkish company with 5 factories in 3 countries. Since its entry into the sector, the company has been supplying products to boat manufacturers and meets all composite-related demands through investments made over the years. METYX Technical Sales Manager Murat Coşkun Akengin stated: "It is important to provide complete service from concept design to delivery for boat manufacturers. We have been working with the marine industry since our establishment. Over time, we have managed to identify the needs of this sector and through our various investments in this direction, we can meet all our customers' needs from raw materials such as fabrics and sandwich materials to technical consulting." Operating as an independent laboratory since 2012, the company conducts physical and mechanical testing of composite materials and provides testing services to many different sectors including marine, automotive, energy, furniture, industrial products and pultruded products, with the majority in the marine sector. Mechanical tests such as tension, compression, bending and shear are performed on fiber-reinforced polymeric composites. In addition to physical and mechanical testing, there are variables that must be measured during the production of composite materials. For example, fiber wetting rate, resin flow regime and filler distribution. These can also be analyzed using test methods developed in-house to shed light on the composite materials production process. METYX manufactures single-axis and multi-axis fabrics including DNV-GL type-approved fiberglass, carbon, aramid fibers and hybrid types; provides PVC foam, PET foam and balsa sandwich material kit services, vacuum consumables, model and mold production. For composite products and services required for production but not manufactured by METYX, the company is also the distributor in Turkey for the world's largest brands; it handles the supply of Scott Bader resins and gelcoats, Composite Integration's RTM and infusion equipment, Axel's mold release agents and Adapa's adaptive mold equipment. Providing A-to-Z services to many companies in the marine sector, METYX came together with Composite Integration in late August for the infusion application of Damen's commercial catamaran project. Three teams working at the Antalya shipyard of Damen, one of the world's leading ship manufacturers with 13,000 employees at 36 shipyards worldwide, completed "Direct Infusion," a technology developed by Composite Integration that has become a worldwide standard method for high-quality, automated infusions in marine, wind and aerospace sectors. A 1,800 kg vinylester infusion was completed in 4.5 hours using In-Mold Pressure Sensors (IMPS), METYX fabrics, core and vacuum consumables, and Composite Integration's Ciject 4. For this project, Scott Bader mold system, vinylester resin and Axel semi-permanent mold release agent were also supplied by METYX. Following this 19-meter catamaran project, the three teams will come together again in early October for a 29-meter carbon/epoxy catamaran project.