Cutting-Edge Robotics
The recent updates to the Grand Banks plant in Malaysia highlight a deep-transformation, complete with forward-thinking innovation.
In 2015, shortly after Palm Beach Motor Yachts President and CEO Mark Richards had taken the reins of Grand Banks, I visited the company’s boatbuilding facility in Johor, Malaysia for the first time. I came away surprised.
First, there were fewer molds on hand than I’d expected—I’d never before realized how extensively Grand Banks has mixed and matched the same tooling over the years to create a variety of models. And although lots of expertise and craftsmanship was evident in the wood and fabrication shops, the lamination technology seemed pretty old.
“You need to come back, mate,” Richards told me just before I left. “You’ll see some really big changes.”
I took Richards up on his offer recently. And what I saw during my second visit was even more surprising than what I’d seen during the first. A transformation had occurred.
New windows shone brightly. Dust collectors hummed. Hull, deck, and other molds appeared to be crisp and multitudinous. Shops and construction bays were cool, well lit, well ventilated, and amply stocked with top-shelf power tools. Employees seemed genuinely cheerful, whether they were participating in modern resin-transfer procedures or continually sweeping the spotless floors.
And there were boats galore. Scores of Palm Beach Motor Yachts (which are presently built in the Johor plant as well as in a facility in Berkley Vale, Australia) made up the majority, but others were on hand as well, each one a brand-new Grand Banks 60 in some stage of build.
But what impressed me more than anything else was something I’d never seen before—an eight-axis milling machine from German robotics pioneer Kuka, known for its involvement with America’s Cup vessels, BMW cars, and Boeing 777 jets. Yeah, I’d seen five-axis machines and even six-axis machines, some in Europe, some stateside. But a mind-bogglingly agile, incredibly articulate eight-axis robot?
“It will allow us to efficiently produce super-accurate tooling right here on the premises,” Richards told me. “And that means quality control and project scheduling are in our hands—not in the hands of a third party.”
The Kuka handler’s job is a trip. He sits in a computer-crammed, picture-window-enhanced control room watching his charge conduct its affairs inside a giant see-through enclosure. In action, the Kuka seems so large and powerful, and its movements so precise and quick, that I felt disconcerted now and again. Is this baby just a machine? Or a humanoid arm, complete with wrist, hand, fingers, and mind? Or what?
One thing’s sure, though. With a big, orange Kuka robot on the job, it’s pretty obvious that there’s something big-time going on at Grand Banks these days. In fact, I’d say it’s nothing short of a 21st-century renaissance. And oh, stay tuned for more on the GB60 in an upcoming issue of Power & Motoryacht.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Things at Grand Banks are changing fast, that’s true. But much remains the same at the company’s plant in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. For example, the emphasis on careful craftsmanship and super-accurate detailing obviously continues.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Here we see one of the several new Grand Banks 60s in an early stage of build—check out that running surface. No strakes, no steps, no pads—a warped bottom that’s as smooth as a hound dog’s nose.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Grand Banks yachts used to be all about wood, teak in particular. Now, although there’s a bit of teak trim for tradition’s sake, it’s all about Gurit Corecell, resin infusion, and hulls that are light and fast.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Much of the brightwork is laminated at Grand Banks these days. Laminated? We mean those thin strips of wood (teak primarily) are sculpted over forms or jigs, glued in place, clamped, and then finally removed after the perfect shape has, in a sense, been cast in stone.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Walkways in the Grand Banks plant are orderly and spotless today. Note the yellow traffic lines, the dust collectors on the equipment, and the elevated, mobile-home-like offices on the right-hand side of the photo. In the old days, Grand Banks managers used to enjoy lofty offices well away from the everyday activities of boatbuilding. Today they work at desks that are an arm’s length from the shop floor.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Most of the power tools at the Grand Banks plant are fitted with extraction hoses that feed a giant dust collection system. Face masks are used in many situations as well.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Alongside the high-tech aspect of the operations at Grand Banks these days, there coexists a healthy dose of old-world craftsmanship. Here a skilled worker is in the initial stages of composing a teak steering wheel around a stainless-steel rim and spokes.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Resin-infusion is part of the deal at the new Grand Banks facility because it reduces VOCs, cuts weight, and boosts the strength and rigidity of the parts created with this technology.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
As it is with many other manufacturers, the resin-infusion process at Grand Banks is part science, part art. The initial setup, which involves the strategic positioning of hoses, pipes, valves, and a variety of fabrics and other materials, is critical to success.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Large panels are resin infused regularly at the Grand Banks plant so they can be computer-cut and installed during the building process later on.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
That’s right—this is a resin-infusion setup in the early stages. Large panels, when completely infused, are stacked in a storage area, ready for shaping and trimming for interior floors and bulkheads.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Computer-controlled, fully-automated routers cut resin-infused panels precisely into necessary shapes prior to installation.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
A crane drops the lid (flybridge molding) on one of the Grand Banks 60s. Check out the faux planking on the hullsides of this 60, a nod to the tradition and classicism that continues to serve Grand Banks well today.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Yup, that’s the GB 60s hullform from bow-on. Not quite the shape of the old Grand Banks hulls, eh? Mark Richards, the new honcho of Grand Banks, says the running surface of this 60 has more in common with a naval destroyer (which cuts through the water with super efficiency) than a trawler.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Brand new power tools—like this Makita chop saw—are to be found virtually everywhere in the various woodshops at Grand Banks these days.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Fuel tanks on the new Grand Banks 60 are made of fiberglass—gone are the corrosion issues associated with the mild-steel (otherwise known as “black iron”) tanks that Grand Banks used to install.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
There’s no more cutting of fiberglass fabrics by hand with a pair of scissors and a stout heart at Grand Banks—fiberglass fabrics are cut precisely via machines controlled by computer programs.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Protective tapes and other materials are applied to equipment to protect it while Grand Banks employees install other pieces of equipment. This is particularly important in engine rooms where paint can be chipped off engines or mechanical housings gouged or scratched.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
One of the hallmark construction details at Grand Banks these days is the use of interior furniture to strengthen and lend rigidity to hull structure. Here a set of shelf-like panels and the top surface of a compartment toughen up a bow area.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Mark Richards, the CEO and president of the new Grand Banks operation, discusses progress on the new GB 60 with one of his foremen. Many employees these days are Malaysian, but some are Aussies like Richards.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
One of the many vacuum cleaners at the Grand Banks plant these days. Says Grand Banks President Mark Richards of the humble device, “ Keep a person’s work environment clean and he’ll produce a good, clean boat.”
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
Grand Banks is a vertically-oriented company these days. Whether it’s stainless-steel bowrails, the upholstery on cockpit cushions (above), or tooling for hulls and decks, everything is made in-house.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
So your initial take is there’s too much clutter cluttering this woodshop? Consider the fact that there is virtually no sawdust evident on the shop floor. Employees at Grand Banks these days are trained to remove by-products, scrap, and refuse from work areas as quickly as possible, sawdust included.
Cutting-Edge Boat Building at Grand Banks
It’s safe to say that I’m really looking forward to seeing—and testing—the GB 60 soon. Stay tuned!
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