ATL Composites is celebrating 40 years of operations, supplying innovative coposite products to the marine, automotive, industrial and construction industries in Australia and around the world.

Arnie Duckworth early 80’s

Paying tribute to the vision of founder, Arnie Duckworth, who established the business in New Zealand in 1977, and the efforts, expertise and ingenuity contributed by ATL staff over the decades, Director Nicholas Cossich said “Without question, 40 years would have been impossible without the dedication, hard work and skill of our past and present talented staff who are very much looking forward to the future challenges and opportunities that our dynamic industry always presents.”

Mr Cossich also honoured the support and collaboration of ATL’s valued clients. “Success to date would not have been achieved without the firm support of our valued clients, distributors, dealers, colleagues, engineers, designers and naval architects to whom we are exceedingly grateful.”

The origins of the company are proudly in boat building, in the late 70s when Mr Duckworth, an avid sailor, relocated to NZ after a period working for the legendary Gougeon Brothers Inc in the US.

The Gougeons had developed the WEST SYSTEM epoxy system, that was revolutionising timber boat construction, by stabilising the moisture content of the wood. Back in the boat building powerhouse of NZ, Mr Duckworth observed a market for epoxy products to supply to the burgeoning marine industry, manufacturing WEST SYSTEM epoxy products under licence to Gougeon Brothers for the Asia Pacific region.

The decade of the 2000s were marked by an expanding market for multihull construction by both professional and amateur builders, whose designs were specified around the DuFLEX Building System, and the ATL used its knowledge and experience of composite materials to diversify into other markets where there is a demand for lighter, stronger, stiffer, more durable structures including automotive, architectural and surfing/sporting equipment and transportation applications.

An outstanding achievement in 2012 was the development of a range of unique epoxy systems with extremely high compressive strength and toughness for the construction of James Cameron’s Deep Sea Challenger, a 7.3-metre deep diving submersible that made a record breaking 11 kilometre descent to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.A success which in essence thoroughly vindicated ATL’s certifications to ISO9001 and approvals under DNV-GL for delivering world-class product quality and performance.

“Enduring and close partnerships with leading International manufacturers including DIAB Group Sweden , Hawkeye Industries USA, Airtech Inc USA, and of course our very good friends at WEST SYSTEM Inc, USA, have been key to strengthening our position in existing markets, and expansion into emerging composite industries,” said Nicholas.

“We are also fortunate to be very well supported by a long established and extensive Distribution/Dealer network in every State and Territory of Australia and also throughout Asia in Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea and Korea.”

Since 2012, ATL has enjoyed a fruitful joint venture partnership with MuH von der Linden of Wesel, Germany forming, vdL Composites GmbH to manufacture DuFLEX panels for the European market. During the successful showing at METS, Amsterdam in 2019, vdL appointed Distributors in Italy, Turkey and France to represent the DuFLEX and Featherlight composite panels in their regions.

ATL started 2020 with new products, a vision for the next decade and a commitment to build on the camaraderie and close bonds among their network of customers and colleagues worldwide.

Inga von der Linden, Director at vdL Composites, Germany sent her congratulations to ATL Composites for 40 years of innovation and excellence.

“We have been working together more than 30 years, since 2012 as distributor of DuFLEX and DuraKore panels and also for many years prior as colleagues and friends in the composite industry selling many similar product lines.

“We have had a shared stand at METS Amsterdam, also sharing houseboats, talking to each other monthly via Skype and seeing us at other industry events. That has made us much more than business partners. I love working with Lorraine and Nick and I wish for them many more successful years ahead.”

Ian Wright, third generation boat builder at Norman R. Wright & Sons, which itself commemorated 110 years in business, has been collaborating with ATL for around 30 years.

“There are almost too many yachts over the past three decades to mention by name,” said Ian.

“We met Arnie in 1982 and started working with ATL in 1987. ATL has always offered excellent support and service, especially on the technical side,” he recounted.

“In the past 15 years, they have contributed to the engineering on projects and we have been very grateful for their expertise.

“We have become extremely close, bonded by our mutual love of boats, cars, construction and aeronautical engineering. My son, an aerospace engineer, actually did work experience at ATL. They also helped build him a billycart when he was six years old.

“ATL supplied material and advice when I was building my family home at Wynnum – a green composite house we call the ‘eco-casa’. Lorraine and Nick are a great duo with exceptional skills and very complementary talents. We congratulate them on their 40-year milestone and all the best for many, many more.”

Tony Grainger, founder of Grainger Designs said “We’ve been with ATL Composites almost since the inception. From the 8m trimaran Dux Nuts (1987) through to our latest all carbon 42-foot custom trimaran Venom, and a host of catamaran and trimaran projects in between”.

“ATL have been with us on the journey with materials, state of the art laminating technology, DuFlex kits for our cruising cats, and engineering support.”

He continued: “There’s no digging needed to discover the success of ATL’s longevity. It’s cultural. The same faces are there year after year armed with technical know-how and a welcoming smile, whatever the questions. Congratulations and thanks to all the crew at ATL; and here’s hoping you guys are around for a lot more anniversaries.”

Jake Holloway, Product Manager at Shapers Australia, which supplies surfboard manufacturing products to leading surfboard shapers around the globe, was impressed with “ATL’s big 4-0”.

“That is an impressive innings to say the least, for any company in any industry,” he said. “In a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment the ability to maintain such a high level of product quality, customer service and innovation rings accolades to ATL Composites.

“What our company (Shapers Australia) really appreciate and find highly motivating is the relationship we have established with ATL. The culture of ATL is to work with customers as a team, a genuine partnership arrangement.

“It is through this partnership that ATL and Shapers Australia have been able to combine critical knowledge, share sensitive information and lead the world in the field of specialised epoxy solutions for the Surf Industry. The distribution achieved has been on a global scale and importantly the channels of communication are always open, always flowing and always looking towards the future. This mutual success is achieved through a partnership built on mutual trust and respect.

“From all the team at Shapers to all the team at ATL, Happy Birthday and a whopping big Thank you. Please raise your glasses and here’s to many great years ahead!”

Marinesports International in Victoria was among the original WEST SYSTEM Distributors appointed in Victoria. Director Andrew Morrison sent his best wishes for ATL’s milestone.

“We established WEST SYSTEM with leading yacht chandleries and boat builders and in more recent times, several quality furniture manufacturers have come to realise the many benefits of using WEST SYSTEM products as a glue and for sealing timber.

“Over the past 40 years ATL Composites, under the guidance of Nicholas Cossich, Lorraine Murray and their team, have grown a reputation for excellent customer service offering quality products with technical support. We wish them every success for the future.”

Mr Cossich said the team at ATL was grateful for their customers’ loyalty and enthusiasm for ATL’s extensive range of products, commenting on their valuable input which has spurred product development and enhancements.

He said ATL is energised by attaining the 40-year marker and has no intention of resting on their laurels.

“We will continue to push the boundaries of material performance through our active research and development programs, and are looking to expand and improve our materials and technical proficiency in numerous aspects of cosmetic finishing, thermal ranges, fire-resistance and sustainability.

“Important new growth markets include defence, automotive, architectural and civil which are now leveraging our solid foundation of expertise and technology developed over decades in our key marine business.

“Our significant, long-standing international and domestic supplier relationships will continue to allow us to complement our own product ranges by offering world leading advanced composite materials to the Australasian market.”

ATL Composites provides the precision pieces for the latest Roger Hill-designed powercat.

From concept to completion, building a custom-designed powercat is a breeze with an inspired vision, reliable team, proven materials and just a pinch of magic in the mix.

The product of her owners’ yachting experience and dream of long-range cruising, “Omahu”, a 16-metre composite displacement hull powercat from the pen of legendary designer, Roger Hill, is taking shape at Lifestyle Yachts in Pipiroa, New Zealand.

Meaning “breath”, or “light breeze” in the Maori language, Omahu is a custom-designed vessel that is unique in every aspect.

As Roger Hill explains “The hull shape is a development of our very efficient displacement form, but the styling is unique compared to other similar sized power cats we have done before. It is not a ‘cut and shut’ exercise using an existing similar sized design.”

Omahu is the vision of joint-owners, two Kiwi couples keen to experience long-range cruising around the South Pacific, exploring New Caledonia, Fiji, Tonga and Australia.

One of the owners had previously built a Roger Hill-designed 14.15-metre sailing cat, around 15 years ago, customised to his requirements at that time. The choice of building materials, methodology and designer informed his choice for the current project.

According to Roger, the brief was reasonably straight forward. “There were around 20 specific items”.

“Both owners are very experienced yachtsmen, in power and sailing boats, with ocean-going range as the primary requirement. Both are very practical people, so it wasn’t difficult to convert their thoughts and ideas into the design.”

Emphasis was on comfort, rather than speed, although, powered by twin Yanmar 6LY400 400hp engines, Omahu is calculated to achieve an impressive top speed of 26 knots.

The design needed space for two couples to live aboard along with storage required for long trips to remote destinations where fuel, water and food might not be readily available.

“One of the interesting things that came up right at the start was how big the vessel should be. After some discussion, I suggested that perhaps they should go and find a suitable marina berth to keep it in, and that’s what happened. From that point, we worked out the maximum beam and a maximum length.”

The design process involved relatively few challenges.

“You have probably heard about the ‘design spiral’, the process of starting with a ‘loose’ collection of info and data and compromise through the design journey this becomes tighter and tighter until the final result is signed off.

The result of their collaboration will be a sensational wide-bodied powercat that embodies the “space, pace and grace”, the characteristics of multihulls that inspire such loyalty in their owners.

“This particular design does not have as much beam (5.6-metres) as I might normally have on a displacement power cat of this length, but this was related to the width of the marina berth. The upside of that slightly narrower beam, less transverse stability will be an improved motion; not such a quick roll period in a beam sea.”

With her shallow draft of just over 1-metre, Omahu will be able to explore remote inlets and anchorages where other yachts may not be able to access.

Seeking strength, durability, light-weight and precision, Roger based the design of Omahu on construction using DuFLEX Composite panels from ATL Composites.

“ATL and I go back a long way,” recalls Roger. “The first DuFLEX kit we did was over 18 years ago, and we have done many since then in both power and sail. One of Omahu’s owners had already built a sailing cat using the DuFLEX panel system so he was very happy to build the power cat using the same materials and method of construction.

“Another consideration was the builder, who didn’t have a lot of experience building a full-foam cored catamaran, so he has been very appreciative of the pre-made panels and CNC router set of parts.

“The DuFLEX Building System offers builders a very high-quality panel and very precise accuracy, and for the client, an assurance of structural integrity.”

From a technical standpoint, Omahu is destined to have a dark blue hull which dictated the choice of foam core to be used in the hull and transom areas. A combination of Divinycell HP80 and HP100 foam cores, type approved by DNV-GL Maritime, were chosen for the DuFLEX Strip Planks used in these areas to provide elevated temperature and mechanical performance under the owners’ choice of a dark blue paint.

Engineered to survey standards by ATL Composites Engineering team, other DuFLEX Composite Panels components in Omahu include wing-deck, soles, girders, webs, bulkheads, longitudinal and interiors all supplied in CNC-Routed Kit Form with various core types and densities to suit the design loads in the vessel.

Far from handing over the plans and moving on to the next commission, Roger Hill prefers to work closely with clients and yard as the vessel is brought to life.

“I really enjoy the developing relationship between the client, the builder and myself. It’s tremendous when the builder is on song and going well, the client is seeing his new boat taking shape and I get involved with helping in any way I can to make the process go as smooth as possible.

“Being a designer must be one of the more satisfying things to do on the planet and that probably applies to just about designing anything. But boats, I think are a little bit more special, it is such a complex sum of all of its parts and then when done well become much more than the sum of its parts.”

www.powercatsnz.com

www.lifestyle-yachts.co.nz

ATL Composites is pleased to announce agreements with new European distributors as a result of exhibiting at this year’s METSTRADE Amsterdam in November, the company’s seventh show with joint venture partners vdL Composites GmbH.

“We have established Distributors for our DuFLEX and Featherlight composite panels in France, Turkey and Italy,” confirmed Inga von der Linden, Director at vdL Composites, based in Wesel, Germany.

“They are the WEST SYSTEM distributors for those countries, and consequently, we have had relationships with their companies through the WEST SYSTEM network. But it was through exhibiting at METS that we met face to face and decided to work together.”

The new DuFlex and Featherlight distributors are Etap Marine, Istanbul, Directeck in Aubiere, France and WS Marine S.r.L. in Genova, Italy. “They are extremely well placed in key markets to supply some of the world’s premium boat builders,” added Lorraine Murray, Director at ATL Composites. “We are looking forward to more vessels coming on to the global market with the quality DuFlex/Foam and Featherlight panel systems for light-weight, strength and durability.”

The new distributors will stock a mixture of DuFLEX/Foam and Featherlight panels in various thicknesses and with single and double layers of e-fibreglass skins to service their local customers. They will also be in a position to offer custom panels including full sized component packs, for one-off projects and/or for their local production builders, produced to specifications by vdL Composites GmbH, which is based in Germany.

“These custom panels could also include panels with high density inserts for hardware installations which were of great interest to many of the professional boat builders who visited our stand at METS,” added Lorraine.

METS 2019 was an extremely successful show for ATL Composites.

“This was our seventh consecutive year exhibiting with vdL Composites GmbH and the most fruitful,” said Lorraine. “Australian brands and businesses enjoy great respect for our ingenuity, quality and proactive approach to tailoring solutions to every customer’s unique requirements.”

More at www.atlcomposites.com.au

The highlight of the recent Pacific 2019 Expo at Sydney’s Darling Harbour, the intriguingly named “Whiskey Project”, stole the spotlight with the launch of its first boat – WHISKEY ALPHA eight five – and won a legion of fans for its aggressive profile, versatility and performance capabilities.

Built by Van Munster Boats, located on Lake Macquarie in NSW, Whiskey Alpha eight five is the first “Next Generation Tactical Watercraft”, the product of collaboration among exmilitary operators, world-class maritime architects, engineers and innovators.

The “Whiskey” nomenclature is derived from the NATO phonetic alphabet where “W” denotes the military water operators and “Whiskey” is their callsign. Whiskey Alpha eight five is 8.5m long but is scalable from 6 to 12-metres.

Featuring a new-technology hull that boat builder Brett Van Munster describes as ‘disruptive’, the high-performance powerboat hull is made from advanced carbon fibre composite materials which provide a greater strength to weight than traditional aluminium or FRP hulls.

The revolutionary Sea Blade hull form is the product of a decade of research and development to design the ultimate foundation for mixed sea states and offshore applications providing greater stability and seakeeping whilst achieves a higher average speed than a comparable deep-V hull.

As Brett Van Munster explains “The co-founders of The Whiskey Project commissioned the design based on their 20 years’ Defence experience as tactical maritime operators, and they intimately understood what the capability gaps were in the existing craft being used globally.

“They knew the current boats were simply not fit for purpose. Whether they are from military or police or other state agencies or even support boats or tenders, operators need watercraft that offered a higher level of seakeeping and safety but also high-speed offshore capability in all sea states as well as low speed manoeuvring for the boarding, recovery or disembarking of ships.

“These vessels needed to offer an unprecedented level of stability and high-end performance!”

The Whiskey co-founders, Darren Schuback and Ryan Carmichael assembled a formidable design and build team which included the lead architect from Farr Yacht Design; marine composites engineer and America’s Cup winner Brett Ellis, as well as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) system and hull specialists from Navatek Hawaii, a research institute funded by the US Government to build military craft.

“Darren and Ryan were really motivated. They had the financial backing and a clear conceptual design brief when they approached us.”

With a similar ethos, Van Munster boats, established in 1988, is a second-generation familyowned and run business that has earned a reputation for innovative custom builds. Their “bread and butter” is 18 and 16-foot skiffs, for which they’ve been the international Class\ builder for the past 14 years.

“The reason we established the business was that we couldn’t find what we wanted in the market. We were seeking better technical construction in our boats, and that’s what we strive to achieve in our boats every time.”
Specialists in custom composite construction, Van Munster Boats had a clear build and test deadline for The Whiskey Project boat of the 2019 Pacific Maritime Expo.

“The timelines are never as long as you’d like them to be,” says Brett. “But we specialise in race boats, so we’re used to the environment of high performance and high expectations. That’s the culture of our business and how we operate. But it was a good challenge. There was no fallback, no wiggle room. The whole thing had an end date. It was a like a race from the start to the finish and we delivered.

“One of the key challenges that always arise on tight time frames is material procurement. Fortunately, we have good suppliers such as ATL that we can rely on to deliver. You can’t do this kind of project by yourself.”

Nicholas Cossich, Director at ATL Composites said the smooth process from brief to completion on the Whiskey Project was testament to the strong relationship between ATL and Van Munster Boats.

“It’s an immense privilege for us to work with such a dynamic and supremely talented group of people operating at the highest echelons of the marine industry. Brett and his team really demonstrated true ingenuity and focus in delivering the WA85 and we are very proud that he chose to use our Australian technology to deliver such a ground-breaking vessel.”

For two decades, Van Munster Boats has worked with ATL Composites on numerous projects ranging from classic timber construction in the early days, through to the high performance, advanced composite boats they’re renowned for now.

For The Whiskey Project, ATL Composites supplied Divinycell foam core to deliver the high strength structure required in such extreme operating conditions, and fast speeds, and custom DuFLEX panels for deck, cockpit and internal framing. ATL CNC machined components to the uniquely engineered requirements “and we just dropped them into the
boat” added Brett.

The Whiskey Project lead engineer Brett Ellis has been a friend and colleague of Brett Van Munster for decades and proved an invaluable part of the team, bringing his depth of experience as a structural engineer specialising in composites for Gurit, as well as Prada, Alinghi and Artemis.

The effort paid off and Whiskey Alpha eight five was the centre of attention at Pacific 2019, the biennial international maritime expo that attracts 22,000 visitors over three days, representing Defence, Government and Scientific industries from 48 nations.

“It was awesome for us to see the reception,” said Brett. “The Whiskey Project was the star of Pacific 19 and the Australian Defence Force all know about this vessel now!

“It was a whole new world and a real eye-opener for us as a niche business. We were very proud to demonstrate that we have the skillset, capabilities and craftsmanship that create a world-class product.

“There has been huge interest following the event from both domestic and international defence delegations as well as other government agencies and we are looking forward to the next phase of The Whiskey Project.”

ATL Composites and their European joint venture company, vdL Composites will attend this year’s METSTRADE Show in Amsterdam, 19 to 21 November, exhibiting the DuFLEX panel building system, developed in Australia and now industry standard for boat builders the world-over.

“METS is the world’s largest trade exhibition of marine equipment, materials and systems,” said Lorraine Murray, Director at ATL Composites, based on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

“It’s important to connect with our customers and our partners in Europe and show them the innovative ways DuFLEX can be used in boat building, saving production time and delivering lighter weight, stronger boats.”

Inga von der Linden at vdL Composites said “We attend METS because we meet the international industry there and we can show them the DuFLEX products in reality.

“Existing customers can also visit our stand and see new developments, network with colleagues and experience innovations from the global marine market.”

Developed in Australia by ATL Composites, DuFLEX panels are available with a range of lightweight, high-strength core materials that are laminated with a high-performance, specially formulated, epoxy resin and can be reinforced with multi-axial E-fibreglass or carbon fibre.

DuFLEX panels have become an industry standard for composite boat construction and the system is specified by leading designers around the world for the construction of pleasure, performance and commercial craft.

In 2012, ATL Composites and MuH von der Linden GmbH of Wesel, Germany, formed a joint venture company, known as vdL Composites GmbH to produce DuFLEX® composite panels for the European market.

Since then, the DuFLEX range has been available to professional boat-builders and designers throughout Europe, with local supply and experienced technical support provided by the Technical Team at vdL Composites.

Growing demand for the DuFLEX panels has led to an ever-increasing European customer base and the further development of options for customers.

Business secured directly from last year’s METS includes supplying DuFLEX for interior fitouts for ITA Catamarans and projects for Gunboat, Baltic Yachts and Nautor’s Swan.

As Inga explained “The Gunboat 68 used DuFLEX for interior panels for ceilings and cladding. Delivered as full-sized parts, the DuFLEX panels were cored with DIAB Divinycell H80 foam, and reinforced with several orientations of E-Fibreglass and/or Carbon Fibre to provide a combination of stiffness and strength.  Vdl Composites also supplied 42mm and 84mm FRP Bonding Angles to provide a quick and effective way to make right angle joints between the panels.

“Iconic builder, Nautor’s Swan contacted us as a result of the referral from their neighbours, Baltic Yachts, who demonstrated the panels,” Inga continued.

Jan Vidjeskog at Baltic yachts said “DuFLEX panels are cured to our demands and have a good and even quality which make them easy and cost-effective to use.”

The vdL Technical Team will be available at METS to introduce you to The DuFLEX Building System, and to discuss your specific design and fabrication requirements.

vdL Composites will exhibit at booth CMP.25.EL in the Construction Material Pavilion.

More information at www.duflex.com.au and www.vdlcomposites.com

In terms of quality and innovation the new flagship of the shipping company Luzern (SGV) MS 2017 sets a new milestone in Swiss shipping. 

March 21st 2017

In autumn 2013, the Board of Directors of the SGV decided on construction of the new, large passenger ship with space for 1,000 passengers.

The well-known yachting design office Judel / Vrolijk & Co from Bremerhaven were commissioned to do the design,  and the planning and construction is being carried out  by Shiptec AG, one of the largest shipyards in Switzerland.

A new sundeck floor was specified for the upper section of the vessel and vdL Composites GmbH were approached to supply a composite alternative to provide strength, stiffness and durability.  DuFLEX Composite Panels were specified as the best option for the large 275m² area.

DuFLEX – Optimised Kit Technology –  109 Custom DuFLEX panels ranging from 1.3m to 2.4m in length were manufactured at the vdL Composites facility in Wesel, Germany. The panels were cored with 60mm Divinycell H80 and reinforced with multiple layers of multiaxial E-fibreglass,  laminated with a custom-blend, high performance epoxy resin.  Divinycell H80 is widely used, and has a proven track record,  in the marine industry for  leisure, military and commercial applications. Combined with epoxy laminates, the DuFLEX H80 panels provide excellent mechanical properties at low weight, a consistent high quality finish, excellent chemical resistance, low water absorption and good thermal/acoustic insulation.

The panel edges were machined with the DuFLEX Z-Joint and CNC-routed from electronic design files, enabling the panels to be joined and the full-sized parts to be released.  The panels were delivered, along with the proprietary DuFLEX Z-Press, to Shiptec to be joined and fitted on site.  The Z-Press was set-up on the deck of the vessel, and vdL staff were present to assist with joining and to offer technical support during the process.

On installation, the full-sized parts fitted perfectly into the specified areas eliminating the need for time- consuming trimming and fitting. The large sections were lifted into position with a vacuum lifter and Pro-Set Epoxy adhesive was used to fill and bond non-scarffed edges. Multiaxial E-fibreglass tapes were applied to complete the structural requirements on those joins.

A driving factor in the choice of materials for this project was the installation time-frame. DuFLEX offered the perfect solution to meet a tight deadline for project completion.
The first contact was made to vdL on February 2 2016, with the first delivery on March 11.  The first panels were joined on March 21 and 3 days later, one third of the deck was joined and mounted on the steel frame. 166 parts were installed to complete the 275m2 deck. Compared to conventional methods of hand-lamination, this saved hours in labour, wastage and tooling costs.

MS 2017’s maiden voyage is scheduled for May 2017. The ship will be officially named at this time and will be scheduled for trips on the Lucerne-Flüelen-Luzern and Lake Lucerne.

ATL Composites will be exhibiting at Booth #314 IN THE SUPERYACHT & MARINE PAVILION at this year’s Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show from Thursday May 24th thru Sunday May 27th.

“We are really looking forward to this year’s 30^th Anniversary Show,” says Lorraine Murray, Director at ATL. “As a leading supplier of advanced composite materials and engineering to the marine industry for 38 years, we continue to look for ways to improve our products and services, and enjoy the opportunity to discuss and suggest solutions for specific projects with customers at the show.”

This year ATL will be displaying products specifically developed for the Marine Industry including the Six10 Structural Adhesive from the internationally recognised WEST SYSTEM epoxy range and DIAB’s Divinycell Structural Cores which have a proven industry history and are the choice for naval architects and manufacturers worldwide.

We are also show-casing two outstanding projects that were built with our DuFLEX and Featherlight composite panels – Kato the G-Force 2000 Speciale and Barcoo Drift, the 14m Roger Hill Power Catamaran.

Please visit our stand to meet our experienced Technical Team and to discuss how our products can work for you.