Case Study
It was June 2014, and Gold Coast Yachts President, Richard A. Difede, was growing increasingly
concerned about the cost and time it was taking for their post-curing of large carbon-fiber
joints on the yachts the company produces. The epoxy joints needed to cure at 145° F for an
extended period of time, and the procedure Gold Coast was using was time consuming and
costly. In fact, it was outright profit hindering.
Gold Coast had to architect, build, and utilize large custom ovens for each section of yacht
frame that needed high-temperature exposure. In other words, they were building a large shed
around each and every frame. Workers used two-by-fours and sheetrock in order to create
a sealed unit that could be pumped with heat. The process took a good deal of time and
manpower, not to mention the extra costs for equipment.
Building the makeshi oven was only half the battle. Once the unit was completed, someone
had to man the oven for the duration of the cure to regulate the temperature. They couldn’t
allow the temperature to fall below 145° F or climb too high above it, or the process would be
compromised and take even longer to complete.
From Costly to Cost Efcient
Gold Coast Case Study