Windsurf Masts technology

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS

Every component of a Reptile product is carefully designed and constructed by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team of designers and engineers; they successfully take on daily challenges – combine a technical solution with an attractive, modern and state-of-the-art design.

 

 The best quality 100% certified Pre-Preg Carbon fibers are selected and laid on the most advanced CUTTING PLOTTER for composite materials.  At this stage the layers of pre-preg are cut followed by a perfect digitized pattern.

 

The Pre-preg Carbon plies are applied to a male mold in different angles to get strength, flexibility and perfect bend curve. The orientation of the UD fibers is automatically controlled. Less expensive manufacturing methods like filament winding are unable to lay enough fibers at zero degrees and may have more variation on resin content.

A special super strength release film is used to get the first compression to the lay-up of our Reptile Mast to remove part of the air. This solid film does not allow any resins to escape.

Plotter da taglio

Now we need more pressure to consolidate the laminate, and heat to initiate and maintain the curing reaction. The perfect tool for Reptile Masts is one of the most updated Autoclave with integrated vacuum chamber, totally automatic programmable control of temperature, vacuum and pressure with a separate unit of data recording. The pressure exerted on the layup is up to 7 Bar at 125°C. The autoclave molding process produces laminates of high quality with minimum void content, and control of laminate thickness is much better than the other construction methods.

 

After the cure time, the male mold is removed and the Reptile mast is refined and cleaned. The connection Joint is perfectly sanded with the maximum accuracy to prevent the masts from getting stuck while and after using.

All the REPTILE MASTS are tested on the REPTILE BEND CURVE MACHINE. A 30 kg weight is being applied on each mast, then a completely digital software measures 10 points of the mast checking if the NATURAL BEND CURVE matches the specifications. To complete the QC tests, part of the masts must be loaded with the REPTILE COMPRESSION MACHINE; the piston compresses the masts up to 75 cm, getting more than 1-meter extra bend curve. At the end of the day we’re really proud to see how good the test results are, it’s truly the best way to get satisfaction after such a hard job.

 

REPTILE intensely works on times and methods to plan operations as well as management of its resources and means. This optimizes production cycles, guarantees high quality standards, and ensures that delivery times and volumes requested are satisfied.
Each stage of the production process is set, registered and controlled using an advanced management software tool. This ensures that operations are planned to flow smoothly and that the production of every article can be traced completely.

RAW MATERIALS

The source of excellece

Unidirectional carbon fiber, biaxial, epoxy resin… The choice of materials is an essential link in the production chain which, step by step, leads to the creation of exceptional products. It is therefore not surprising that the selection of the best materials made by Reptile Sports follows extremely strict criteria. Each mast is made with materials chosen with care and constantly examined to ensure unsurpassed performance and flawless aesthetics.

T700 HS Carbon Fiber
(230-240 GPa / 4000-5000 MPa)

Performance fits for extremes

A Reptile mast must work perfectly and withstand even the most extreme conditions. This is why Reptile Sports uses T700 carbon fiber for the FIBRA 40 and FIBRA 80 models, which has high tensile strength values ​​(greater than 4000 MPa) and standard values ​​of Young's modulus (around 240 GPa). To put this into perspective, the value of the steel is 21GPa.

UD T700 AND T800

T800 IM Carbon Fiber (290-295 GPa / 5500-5600 MPa)

The source of the lightness

The Reptile FIBRA 100 and REVERSE masts stand out for their lightness and performance, the result of years of refinement in the use of this precious material. Only by controlling the entire production process, Reptile Sports is able to guarantee the unrivaled lightness of its masts and paddles.

For the FIBRA 100 and REVERSE, Reptile Sports uses only the T800 Intermediate Modulus, an extraordinary fiber created for the aerospace market, which has even higher values ​​of tensile strength, (greater than 5000 MPa) and high values ​​of the Young's modulus (around 290 GPa).

0/90° CBX- Biaxial Stitched

The exclusive CBX is the meeting and union of two Unidirectional Fibers through a precise sewing process, which ensures an increase in mechanical properties of over 20%. Unlike the twisted fibers of the TWILL and PLAIN materials, the non-curled parallel fibers of the CBX bear much better strain immediately after undergoing a load. Furthermore, the stress points detected at the intersection of commonly intertwined fibers are eliminated.

Reptile Sports uses this special Carbon Fiber on FIBRA 100 SDM and as a reinforcement in the boom area on FIBRA 100 and 80 RDM.

A meeting of two materials

WOVEN FABRICS

Woven Fabrics are produced by the interlacing of warp (0°) fibres and welt (90°) fibres in a regular pattern or weave style. The fabric’s integrity is maintained by the mechanical interlocking of the fibres.


PLAIN

On the Plain developed by Reptile, each warp fibre passes alternately under and over each welt fibre. The fabric is symmetrical, with good stability and reasonable porosity. It’s used as external, carbon look and durable finishing.

TWILL

One or more warp fibers are intertwined alternately on and under two or more intertwined fibers in a repeated and regular manner. This produces the visual effect of a diagonal to the fabric. Thanks to the reduced wrinkling, the fabric also has a smoother surface and higher mechanical properties than PLAIN. Optional for the Reptile CUSTOM Mast

Epoxy Resin Matrix

The selected supply chain of Reptile Sports raw material suppliers has developed a special Epoxy Resin Matrix for its Windsurf masts, in order to guarantee beauty, resistance and functionality over time even in the most adverse conditions. The strength of the bond between the resin and the Carbon Fiber is the secret and the success of all the pre-impregnated materials used by Reptile Sports.

HOW TO USE THE WINDSURF MAST

After joining the Top to the Bottom, you are ready to rig the windsurf sail.

- First of all, follow the instructions on the sail, and more precisely how many centimeters of EXTENSION you will need to correctly rig the sail. If you don't have an extension yet, you can find it in our accessories. Tip: Adding centimeters of downhaul than suggested leads to a flatter profile in the central part and a more open sail in the leech; in this case it is likely to be necessary to remove centimeters of clew from the boom. The thrust center in this way moves forward, towards the windsurf mast. Such a tensioned sail is less reactive and more likely to withstand strong winds. The opposite happens if less downhaul  is given than recommended.

- Once the mast has been inserted into the sail, check that the top and bottom are perfectly joined. To do this, just slide your hand along the mast sleeve to perceive whether the union has been respected. Tip: Apply a tape to the top and bottom junction so you don't run into this problem.

- Finally insert the boom, taking care not to over tighten the handle. Tip: The boom must be tightened the right way, and the new generation booms have the wall in contact with the mast of a longer length and with anti-slip material.

- Once this is done, all that remains is to go into the water to perceive the wonderful reactivity that only Reptile windsurf masts can give.

WINDSURF MAST CARE GUIDE

-        A carbon windsurf mast is built to withstand constant effort and blows. But it is not indestructible. To try to make it last the longest and, in the first place, to make your windsurf sessions safe, it needs care and attention.

-        - Absolutely avoid blows to the masts, especially if at 100%. Carbon can begin to break down invisibly within its structure, and the ultimate break occurs at just the worst time. If in doubt, we suggest you replace the mast.

-        - Do not leave the windsurf mast exposed to the sun. With an external temperature of + 30 ° C, the surface of the mast can reach and exceed 80 ° C, and this can damage the carbon structure. When not in use, leave the rig in the shade and let go of the downhaul. It is a one-minute operation that gives your mast months of life.

-        - Always insert at least 20 centimeters of extension in the SDM masts and 15 centimeters in the RDMs.

-        - Do not over tighten the boom, especially with SDMs. If you deform the mast even slightly, you are well on your way to breaking it.

-        - While rigging the sail, check that the top and bottom of the mast are perfectly joined. Even a distance of a few millimeters between them is one of the most common causes of breakage. Tip: tape the joint with a piece of tape, in this case you will be sure that Top and Bottom are joined together, and you will not risk to stuck the mast due to the sand that could otherwise infiltrate.

-        - Use the mast bag to carry your Reptile mast. Remember to handle it with care. Carbon is an extremely fragile material.