HDPE: A Revolution in Boatbuilding

The construction of marine vessels such as boats, yachts, barges and ships is historically associated with wood and in more recent times, other materials such as fibreglass, aluminium and steel.

While those traditional materials have their benefits, they also have challenges that make them unsuitable, or in other cases, limit the design of the vessel.

In recent times, HDPE or High-Density PolyEthylene, has made its way into the mainstream of the marine/boat construction industry. It’s no surprise really, when you consider the unique properties of HDPE that make it such as versatile and appealing alternative for everything from personal to commercial or industries vessels.

Plastral is the exclusive Australian distributor for Simona®, a European manufacturer and world leader in the field of thermoplastics. Simona® and Plastral have been working together for years to offer a range of PolyEthylene products which have been developed and honed for use in the marine industry.

Simona® BoatBoard is a premium grade HDPE sheet which is the perfect match for marine applications and is commonly used for everything from instrument panels to cabinetry and steps. Simona® BoatBoard offers a range of impressive properties:

• Unique, textured surface which resists marring/scratching
• Weatherproof (UV stable)
• High chemical resistance
• Ease of fabrication
• Superior flatness
• High strength and rigidity
• Very low water absorption
• Integral colour so it won’t delaminate, rot or splinter

Thanks to innovative manufacturers seeing the benefits of HDPE, in recent years we have also seen HDPE evolving from a material for use in trim and decking, to being used for the constructing of whole vessels.

At Plastral we stock a huge range of PE sheets (flat + twin-wall), rods, welding rods plastic welders and we’re always excited to assist you in finding the best solution for your application, so please reach out to our knowledgeable sales team for further information or to check pricing and availability.

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