Marine Sandwich Decking With Molded Non-Slip Skin Texture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Marine decking materials face issues with durability, slipperiness, and high maintenance due to environmental exposure, and existing non-slip solutions do not adequately address traction and cost-effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
The use of sandwich-type, compression-molded composite panels with a cellular core and thermoplastic skins, where debossing or embossing techniques enhance surface traction by controlling cooling patterns and applying pressurized gas or vacuum pressure during molding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional marine decking materials (fiberglass, aluminum, treated plywood, vinyl, or perforated rubber) are used, then the deck can be manufactured with standard materials and processes, but the materials deteriorate over time in harsh marine environments requiring repair or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a composite structure consisting of a cellular core material (such as foam or honeycomb) sandwiched between two outer skin layers. This composite construction combines the lightweight properties of cellular materials with the protective and aesthetic qualities of skin layers, creating a deck that resists marine environmental deterioration while maintaining structural integrity over extended service life.
Solution Approach 2:
The outer skin layers of the composite panel act as protective shells that shield the cellular core from environmental factors such as UV radiation, moisture, and physical damage. These thin film layers provide durability and can be designed with various finishes to enhance resistance to marine conditions.
2Ease of operation
If traditional materials like fiberglass or vinyl are used for marine decking, then the manufacturing process is straightforward, but the surfaces become slippery and pose safety hazards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different surface characteristics to different regions of the deck surface. The skin layers can incorporate textured patterns, embossed designs, or integrated traction elements in specific areas where foot contact occurs, while maintaining smooth surfaces in other regions. This localized modification of surface quality provides enhanced grip where needed without compromising the overall aesthetic or structural properties.
3Strength
If sandwich-type composite panels with cellular cores are used, then the deck achieves high strength-to-weight ratio and buoyancy, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex compared to conventional materials
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process is divided into distinct segments: first forming the cellular core structure, then separately preparing the skin layers, and finally bonding them together through lamination or co-curing. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized and manufactured independently using specialized processes, then assembled into the final composite panel, managing complexity through modular production.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent integrates multiple manufacturing steps into unified processes where possible. For example, the skin layers and cellular core can be co-cured in a single autoclave cycle, or surface textures can be molded directly into the skin layers during the same process, reducing the number of separate operations and tooling changes required.
4Reliability
If sandwich-type composite panels with cellular cores are used, then the deck achieves buoyancy and strength, but the manufacturing process requires specialized equipment and procedures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs disposable or consumable components in the manufacturing process, such as release films or sacrificial spacers that are removed after curing. These temporary elements facilitate the manufacturing of complex composite structures but do not become part of the final product, simplifying the overall manufacturing approach by using inexpensive, single-use items rather than requiring complex reusable tooling for every step.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides marine deck materials with a high strength-to-weight ratio, buoyancy, and improved surface traction, making them suitable for harsh marine environments while reducing maintenance costs.
Implementation Method 1
The air in the core cavities causes thermal gradients relative to the cell walls that result in uneven cooling over the surface area of the skin
Implementation Method 2
The resultant uneven cooling is manifested as 'debossing' (or, 'sink marks') on the surfaces of the skins
Implementation Method 3
The debossing effect can be accentuated by applying pressurized gas, e.g., pressurized nitrogen or air, onto the outer surface of the first skin as it cools in the compression mold
Implementation Method 4
Alternatively, the uneven cooling phenomenon can be used to 'emboss' the surface of the skin be application of vacuum pressure while the skin is cooling in the mold
Implementation Method 5
Once the stack is placed in the mold, the closing of the mold halves causes the inner surfaces of the softened skins to bond to the mating faces of the core
Data Source
AI summary
A marine deck member and the process for forming the same. The marine deck member comprises a sandwich-type composite panel made by a compression molding process. In such a process, the panel is made by subjecting a heated stack of layers of material to cold-pressing in a mold. The cellular core has a 2-D array of cells, with end faces open to the respective layers or skins. The surface traction of this type of composite panel can be enhanced for marine deck applications by controlled debossing, or embossing, of the first skin while it cools in the compression mold. The debossing effect can be affected by applying pressurized gas, e.g., pressurized air, onto the outer surface of the first skin while in the compression mold. The embossing can be affected by applying vacuum pressure on the outer surface of the first skin while in the compression mold.