
client projects
FatCat
Rotomoulded Catermeran Trailer Boat
Introduction
The FatCat was concieved specifically to address concerns of people going out to sea in small boats that just weren’t up to the unpredictable water conditions around New Zealand. Unfortunately the news was too frequently filled with stories of boats swamping, capsizing, being abandoned and ultimately the tragic loss of lives. The problem was that although there are many excellent boats that can handle the conditions they come at a premium price that is out of the reach of many people.
The Challange
Lightning Marine, a boat manufacturer that normally constructed their trailer boats from fiberglass, approached ARM for help. They wanted to know if it was possible to produce a rotomoulded trailer boat that would be extremely safe and stable, due to the inherent buoyancy of Polyurethane. The challenge was to be able to make a 4m long rotational moulded boat big enough to carry everything yet still remain affordable for everyone.
Our Solution
The solution was to make the 4m long rotational moulded boat in one piece. The one-piece aspect was important to minimise post-production fabrication and therefore cost.
Fortunately Lightning Marine we were able to take advantage of our Single Source Solution. Firstly because we have our own in-house engineering department we were able to advise on the design of the boat to achieve the one-piece result. Next, we were able to advise and fabricate the mould itself in-house, further reducing the cost.
As we could see the potential in the market for this boat we were able to invest in the product itself by constructing a new extended oven to accommodate the large mould.
We were also able to assist with the internal hull buoyancy boosting as ARM also have our own in-house foaming station.
- Product Longevity Improvement
- Positive Production Speed
- Production Cost Reduction
- Outstanding Stability
- Superior Safety
Services Provided
- Concept Evaluation
- Product Design
- Mould Engineering
- Manufacture
- Product Testing
- Accreditation
- Assembly
- Warehousing
Gallery
The Result
The rotomoulded FatCat is one of the most stable, safe, and spacious trailer boats available in New Zealand. Because we were able to keep the cost of manufacturing down it can sell at a very competitive price. Which in turn makes for positive sales numbers as well as positive trade reviews.