NORTH
CLOTH:
Family of
Fabrics
Fiber Properties
Fiber to Fabric
Industrial Fibers
Oceanus Cloth
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 Traditional
Polyester sailcloth is woven very tightly to produce
a stable, durable fabric without excess fillers or laminates. In this
close-up, the large, straight horizontal "fill" yarns are
completely hidden by the tightly woven vertical "warp" yarns.
In the sail, the lower-stretch fill yarns are oriented to handle the
heaviest loads along the leech. North's NorDac™ family of carefully
selected high-performance polyester yarns feature a tighter weave
and greater stability than any woven polyester sail fabrics within
their category. Traditional woven polyesters offer easy handling,
long-term durability for cruisers and good performance for smaller
racing sails... all at a moderate cost. |
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 Polyester
laminates are
the next step up in performance from woven polyesters. They combine
Mylar™ film with polyester cloth in two or more plies. The much
looser construction allows for flat, straight yarns, especially as
compared to the pure woven cloth above, and a warp oriented layout.
The cloth can be woven more loosely because the Mylar film provides
diagonal stability. North NorLam™ laminated polyesters deliver
lower stretch and lighter weight than woven polyesters. For cruisers,
the laminate structure is typically a Mylar core with polyester cloth
on both sides (see close-up left). For racers, a heavier, stiffer
Mylar film is typically laminated to one or both sides of a cloth
core. |
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 Aramid,
Spectra™/Dyneema and Spectra/Dyneema Carbon laminates
offer maximum performance and minimum weight, though at a
higher cost. Aramid and Spectra/Dyneema cloth are actually a weave
of large aramid or Spectra/Dyneema warp fibers and polyester fill
fibers. The weave is then laminated to a Mylar film (see inset). North
Gatorback™ Aramid and Spectra/Dyneema feature an additional
grid of Spectra/Dyneema yarn applied in a criss-cross pattern on top
of the laminate to improve stability and durability (see next spread).
North Gatorback™ Aramid is primarily used in racing and Gatorback
and SR™ Spectra/Dyneema are favored by cruisers. The addition
of Carbon to Spectra/Dyneema Gatorback creates a fantastically strong,
high-performance material for large boats. |
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 Spinnaker
cloth is woven from Nylon.
In spinnaker cloth, one of the greatest challenges is making it as
light as possible while retaining strength and incorporating enough
yarn to minimize airflow through the weave. The photograph illustrates
how carefully the yarns are flattened and laid out to achieve maximum
cover. Coatings may be used to enhance stability and reduce porosity.
North's Norlite™ and NorLon™ fabrics combine low stretch,
excellent tear strength, specific porosity and superior color acceptance.
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