We at Global Marine Design, strive for a high standard of product and have particular operational reasons why we do not readily on-sell the cutting files.
Our kits are cut at select, dedicated aluminium cutting facilities in Western Australia and the UK.
1. All of our aluminium kits are cut on a dedicated, all-aluminium cutting bed. This is essential to avoid contamination from iron oxides, which occurs when cutting facilities cut both steel and aluminium on the same cutting bed. These contaminants, if not removed, become included in the weld, resulting in porous welds with inclusions. These welds would NOT pass survey x-ray an will be subject to accelerated corrosion.
2. All reference marking is done by spirit based pen. Our marking is an important and integral part of our kit production for both labels and alignment marks. Other lesser machines use powder marking which is very easily rubbed off during fabrication. Powder marking is also most often done using the oxy-acetylene head and therefore adds a high level of heat into the aluminum plates, just to make marks!!. The heat can cause distortion of the plates.
3. Prior to cutting and marking, the machine is calibrated over the full length of the largest plate, requiring the cutting and/or marking head to return to within 2mm of its origin. The maximum error we allow is less than 0.02%, essentially 2 millimetres over a 9 metre sheet.
4. Our plates are lifted onto the cutting bed using non-marking suction clamps. They are removed after cutting, with non-marring lifting clamps. This means our plates have absolutely minimal scratches and/or marks caused by handling.
5. Cutting is executed at the correct speeds in accordance with the corresponding plate thickness. We have witnessed first hand, lesser facilities that cut fast to maximize their profits, as well as running their consumables too long to minimize costs. The resulting product has low quality cut edges requiring increased labour by the builder, to bring the edges up to a suitable finish prior to welding.
6. Our cutting facility has over 6 years of dedicated aluminium kit cutting experience.
7. Due to the close proximity of our cutting facility to the technical design office, we are able to inspect all cutting jobs prior to dispatch. This is also an integral part of our quality assurance procedures.
8. We cut ONLY using DNV certified plates, of alloy 5083, MARINE GRADE ONLY. By supplying the complete cut kit, we ensure the correct material is used in our packages. The buyer is supplied with the material certificates as part of the kit documentation.
9. Our kits are nested on optimal plate sizes. Locations and/or countries outside of Australia generally have different plate sizes.
Our Marine Kits packages, we believe, are the highest quality aluminium kits produced anywhere in the world, incorporating a high level of intellectual property, technology and research and development. We have implemented a constant program of innovation and improvement and therefore protect our kit packages by controlling the issue and packaging of the technology.
Only under exceptional circumstances for multiple kitsets will we consider a licensing arrangement whereby a purchaser can cut our Marine Kits at their nominated cutting facility, from our files. This is subject to a stringent range of checks by Global Marine Design Pty Ltd, to ensure finish, tolerance, quality of product and record of boats cut. All costs for GMD to visit the site are to be borne by the purchaser.
If a licensing agreement is established, the solicitors for GMD will draw up the binding agreement and all costs will be borne by the purchaser.
For a multiple build license agreement, GMD insists that the first two vessels are cut at their facilities in Western Australia, to ensure kit quality and component checking.
In closing, some purchasers feel that we are making large profits on the aluminium and also that the transport costs prohibit the viability of buying Marine Kits from us. The belief is that by licensing to cut at their own premises, they will increase their savings.
This is not the case as GMD only have a small fee on the material to cover ordering, inspection, handling and quality control.
Additionally, transport is relatively cheap worldwide EVEN FOR ONE KIT. Our policy is to send kits F.C.L. (Full Container Load), which means the purchaser, is paying for a whole container. The advantage is that your Marine Kits package is not loaded in with other goods, possibly for different destinations.
If you order more than one kit, then the shipping cost becomes an even smaller portion of the project. Consider this simplicity and time saving for you, after all, isn’t that why you are buying our Marine Kits packages?