English tool maker Midas Pattern Co. Ltd. has produced the rotational mold tooling for a new kayak manufactured by Fatyak Kayaks, a division of the UK-based rotational molding company Deso Engineering Ltd.
The Fatyak Mahee is a dual purpose family and fishing kayak. This one-piece, rotationally molded, sea-faring kayak has no seams or joints, and offers molded-in fixings to provide leak protection.
Fatyak developed the Mahee in collaboration with its design partner Black Arts Product Design.
Nick Hawkins, general manager for Williton, England-based Deso said: “We typically manufacture steel tooling in-house for other (non-leisure) products in our range, but knew aluminum tooling would be the only option given the Mahee's intricately contoured shape.
“We wanted to achieve the highest degree of stiffness, lightness and leak protection – so no apertures and holes – which meant we molded-in all of the hatches and storage features.”
Midas specializes in multi-part rotational tools that include complex thread forms, loose pieces and sliding actions. It was commissioned to produce the two halves of the rotational mold tool for the Fatyak Mahee, along with all the associated engineering support.
Midas provided advice relating to the scupper, a self-bailing feature that allows any water coming over the deck of the kayak to drain automatically.
“Given the length of the product and the potential for shrinkage, without advice from Midas this could have been a real issue. Their suggestions also helped avoid any potential for pin-holes in the moldings,” Hawkins said.
Manufactured from high density polyethylene, the Mahee is suitable for fishing, day use and exploring on small ocean swells or waves, lakes, estuaries and slow moving rivers. It is designed to be used as a tandem kayak but may also be paddled solo.
