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Old    kitriathlon            08-13-2003, 6:16 PM Reply   
Looks like Tige ups the ante!!

VTigé LifePlus Core System
Hyper-Composite vs. Industry- standard Composite
Why Tigé Made the Switch


In an industry full of "me - too" composite boat builders using variations of fiberglass/foam and fiberglass/hollow construction methods, Tigé’s arrival into the composite engineering and manufacturing arena for model year 2004 has certainly turned some heads and begged the question why…and why now?

From our beginning in 1991, the Tigé design philosophy and mantra has always been focused on producing an overbuilt boat using the finest materials and most proven construction techniques. Tigé has a well-earned reputation among owners and dealers for building the toughest and softest riding towboat on the water.

At a Tigé dealer summit meeting three years ago, the question was raised whether Tigé should continue to build the best riding and toughest built boats on the market using XL panel as our coring material. The overwhelming consensus was that Tigé should only make the change only if we could do what no other ski boat company has achieved…design, engineer, test and produce a composite boat that outperformed the Xl cored boats. Design and produce
a composite boat that rode better in rough conditions, had a quieter, smoother feel and
would out-last any other inboard on the water. Until this was possible, the consensus at the dealer summit was that Tigé stay the course and not submit to marketing pressures and the “no-wood”, rot-obsessed naysayers and create a lighter, flimsier and less expensive composite boat.

Now…three years later…Tigé has achieved what all other towboat companies have only dreamed of. Tigé has designed, engineered, tested and produced a composite boat that not only outperforms our former Xl core construction, but is far stronger and technically superior to any other inboard or I/O on the water.

A direct result of Tigé LifePlus Precision Engineering, the 2004 LifePlus Core stringer grid and floor system is hyper - composite technology that has been thoroughly researched, tested, designed, engineered…and is now an important part of the entire 2004 Tigé line. The 2004 Tigé models are the quietest, softest riding and most refined boats we have ever built. They are the strongest, heaviest and most solid towboats in the industry, bar none.

This new construction was thoroughly researched. Our design and engineering team tested industry-standard high-density foam stringers and fiberglass /aluminum floors and found inferior results in test boats including hull failures, higher decibel levels and louder running, significantly harsher ride, disturbing windshield flex and, ultimately, increased vibration and component rattle. These test boats were less expensive to build and significantly lighter in overall weight. This light weight is a feature that many manufacturers tout as an advantage to the detriment of ride quality, hull flex, overall hull life and longevity.

In developing the LifePlus Core system, Tigé engineers finally settled on a winning combination that focuses on three major differences between this breakthrough Tigé process and the industry norm.



1. Grid matrix core versus two stringers. Tigé uses a grid - matrix high density foam coring structure (patent pending) that is individually molded to each Tigé model hull form and shape. This grid actually fills every internal hull void left by hull strake and chine indentations mating in perfect register with the entire hull bottom. The grid has a massive bow molded section that is the first defense against rough water hitting the entry vee and ties the two sides of the grid together for far greater strength, stiffness and density. The LifePlus core also boasts 6 chine "spines" that emanate from the core’s mass to ensure zero flex in the boat’s torsional stresses. The LifePlus Core also employs a two-layer "saddle" of aircraft grade aluminum in the engine mount system versus the other guy's one layer, or worse, no aluminum reinforcement at all. The LifePlus core delivers the ride, torsional stability and toughness due to the 300% additional surface match area it has with the hull and floor.

2. We use more fiberglass…not less. Tigé has increased the fiberglass content in our 2004 boats by up to 25% with the new LifePlus core. Why? Other composite manufacturers rely heavily on marine adhesives to piece together the flooring and stringer process…a construction that creates a flimsy "secondary bond". Tigé instead has taken the overbuild approach. We increased the amount of multi directional woven roving and hand laid tri-directional fiberglass to increase strength, total weight, structural density and overall durability. Heavier construction means a longer lasting boat and quieter more solid ride in rough water. Instead of relying on marine adhesives and secondary bonding, Tigé laminates our hull-core-floor components while the resins are still wet, creating an ultra-strong primary bond. The increased fiberglass and our primary bonding technique is the exception, not the rule in composite manufacturing today. However, it’s an extra step that gives the 2004 Tigé product a distinct advantage over boats from average composite manufacturers. The proof is at the scales, Tigé’s 2004 boats are 100 to 200 pounds heavier than our previous XL-core boats. But that extra weight hasn’t slowed us down, either. Tigé acceleration scores are our best ever. Check out a 6.5 second 0 to 36 MPH for the 2004 switch I. The Tigé Convex V hull shape and hydrodynamic efficiency is the determining factor in our superior acceleration…not weight. Weight and performance spells a happy owner.

3. Penske Xtreme hyper-composite panels. In our three year search for a better built Tigé we tried foam and fiberglass construction, hardened three part fiberglass floors and
spray in "chop" floors. None bettered our existing process. Tigé then discovered Penske Xtreme composite panel, an advanced, high-density composite panel reinforced with two horizontal layers of uni-directional woven fiberglass and completely impregnated throughout the panel with strand fiberglass. Tigé uses this cutting-edge composite to reinforce the three piece engine mounts, as a solid core for the entire floor and to create all seat backs and bulkheads in the above floor areas. Penske Xtreme panels are stronger, quieter and more dense than any panel used in the industry today. It’s also expensive…too expensive for all other production builders to use in their boats. Penske Xtreme makes the Tigé hyper-composite LifePlus Core system more expensive…and far better…than any of our competitors hands down.

These three major differences add up to a far superior Tigé product, one that we stand behind with our unprecedented LifePlus Lifetime Replacement Warranty, the strongest warranty in the marine industry. The other guys will fix a failed boat and give it back to the customer. If there is ever a problem with a Tigé, we will give the original owner a new boat, even if it's 20 years down the road. That’s a bold statement of confidence in our design, engineering and advanced LifePlus Core boat-building process.






(Message edited by kitriathlon on August 13, 2003)

 
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