toneeees
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Today's outboards and stern drives continue to provide higher levels of performance. They are lighter, stronger and boast more horsepower per cubic inch, are more fuel efficient than ever before, and they accomplish it with amazing reliability and longevity. Yet the fact remains that without the right propeller, these marvels of modern engineering cannot provide peak performance and optimum fuel economy. The propeller is where the rubber meets the road, or rather in this case, it's where the power is applied to the water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]While propellers can be made from steel, aluminum and even man-made composite materials, stainless steel is the material of choice for higher performance props. It is stronger and not prone to flex even under the most severe torque loads. In addition, it is resistant to corrosion even in salt water, thereby providing years of dependable service.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Choosing the right prop for a specific boat and motor combination requires the consideration of a range of variables that affect performance. These factors may include: boat hull design, weight of the boat including outboards, fuel load, typical passenger and gear load, number of outboards, horsepower, gear ratio, prop rotation and engine RPM at wide open throttle. To achieve peak performance, the prop has to have the optimal diameter, blade geometry, pitch, cup and rake to transfer the power of the outboard to the water. That's why there are so many different kinds.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Manufacturing high performance stainless steel propellers is an amazing process that requires a variety of technologies and disciplines. Precision Propeller Industries, Inc. (PPI) in Indianapolis, Ind. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yamaha Marine Group and the manufacturer of OEM stainless steel props for Yamaha outboards, as well as Stilettoî and Turboî brand aftermarket propellers for a wide range of outboard and stern drive brands.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Stainless steel props are forged using the lost wax casting method, a technique that dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt. It is a technically-advanced, labor-intensive, multi-phase process that requires the creation of a separate sacrificial mold for each prop.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Once a design for a prop is approved for production, a multi-piece master mold is made from aluminum using computer-controlled milling machines, and finished to a mirror surface at the hands of a master tool and die maker. The mold components go to the Wax Station where the hub and blade molds are assembled and injected with a special melted wax. It is then disassembled, revealing an exact wax reproduction of one of the components of the prop.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]After the wax blank is cleaned, it goes to the "Shelling Station" where it will be used to create the high-temperature sacrificial mold that will receive the molten stainless steel in the foundry. The wax blank is dipped by hand into a primer and then into a pressurized dusting bin that coats it with granulated silica sand.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The drying process is repeated, and then the unit is moved to a robotic station that completes three more sand coatings, each followed by time in an industrial drier that holds hundreds of molds. It's finished with a dip in a sealer coat and a final 24-hour drying step in a specially controlled environment.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The next step is an autoclave where the wax is melted out of the mold using pressurized steam, hence the term lost wax, and the finished sacrificial mold is ready for the foundry. In the foundry, the sand molds are placed in an industrial oven that heats them to over 1,000 degrees, while 60-pound ingots of virgin stainless steel are melting to a temperature of 3,000 degrees in a melting pot. When the metal reaches temperature, the heated sand mold is placed on a floor trolley, rolled under the pot and sparks fly as the molten steel is introduced into the mold. The process is dramatic, and worker safety is paramount for obvious reasons.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
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[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]As the metal cools, the mold is broken away from the cherry-red prop and when it is cool enough to touch with gloved hands, the pour cup is cut off on a special chop saw. The prop undergoes more quality control inspections and then moves to the next building in the facility.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The finishing room is where the forging is taken from a slightly rough form to the precision instrument it will become. During this phase, the prop will pass through the hands of at least a dozen highly skilled technicians that shape, sand, balance, blast, polish and install the hub insert with quality control specialists watching every step of the way. The last stop before the prop is boxed and shipped is one final quality control station where it is measured using computer-linked micrometers against the original blueprint. This measure ensures the prop will deliver the exact performance specifications it was designed to provide.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]With the right prop mated to your outboard or stern drive, you will achieve ultimate performance and enhanced fuel economy, two things that can dramatically improve your overall boating experience.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif][EDITOR'S NOTE] Find a complete selection of propellers at iboats.com.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Article courtesy of Yamaha motors. For additional information on Yamaha boating, visit yamahaoutboards.com[/FONT]
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Today's outboards and stern drives continue to provide higher levels of performance. They are lighter, stronger and boast more horsepower per cubic inch, are more fuel efficient than ever before, and they accomplish it with amazing reliability and longevity. Yet the fact remains that without the right propeller, these marvels of modern engineering cannot provide peak performance and optimum fuel economy. The propeller is where the rubber meets the road, or rather in this case, it's where the power is applied to the water.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]While propellers can be made from steel, aluminum and even man-made composite materials, stainless steel is the material of choice for higher performance props. It is stronger and not prone to flex even under the most severe torque loads. In addition, it is resistant to corrosion even in salt water, thereby providing years of dependable service.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Choosing the right prop for a specific boat and motor combination requires the consideration of a range of variables that affect performance. These factors may include: boat hull design, weight of the boat including outboards, fuel load, typical passenger and gear load, number of outboards, horsepower, gear ratio, prop rotation and engine RPM at wide open throttle. To achieve peak performance, the prop has to have the optimal diameter, blade geometry, pitch, cup and rake to transfer the power of the outboard to the water. That's why there are so many different kinds.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Manufacturing high performance stainless steel propellers is an amazing process that requires a variety of technologies and disciplines. Precision Propeller Industries, Inc. (PPI) in Indianapolis, Ind. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Yamaha Marine Group and the manufacturer of OEM stainless steel props for Yamaha outboards, as well as Stilettoî and Turboî brand aftermarket propellers for a wide range of outboard and stern drive brands.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Stainless steel props are forged using the lost wax casting method, a technique that dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt. It is a technically-advanced, labor-intensive, multi-phase process that requires the creation of a separate sacrificial mold for each prop.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Once a design for a prop is approved for production, a multi-piece master mold is made from aluminum using computer-controlled milling machines, and finished to a mirror surface at the hands of a master tool and die maker. The mold components go to the Wax Station where the hub and blade molds are assembled and injected with a special melted wax. It is then disassembled, revealing an exact wax reproduction of one of the components of the prop.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]After the wax blank is cleaned, it goes to the "Shelling Station" where it will be used to create the high-temperature sacrificial mold that will receive the molten stainless steel in the foundry. The wax blank is dipped by hand into a primer and then into a pressurized dusting bin that coats it with granulated silica sand.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The drying process is repeated, and then the unit is moved to a robotic station that completes three more sand coatings, each followed by time in an industrial drier that holds hundreds of molds. It's finished with a dip in a sealer coat and a final 24-hour drying step in a specially controlled environment.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The next step is an autoclave where the wax is melted out of the mold using pressurized steam, hence the term lost wax, and the finished sacrificial mold is ready for the foundry. In the foundry, the sand molds are placed in an industrial oven that heats them to over 1,000 degrees, while 60-pound ingots of virgin stainless steel are melting to a temperature of 3,000 degrees in a melting pot. When the metal reaches temperature, the heated sand mold is placed on a floor trolley, rolled under the pot and sparks fly as the molten steel is introduced into the mold. The process is dramatic, and worker safety is paramount for obvious reasons.[/FONT] [FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]
[/FONT][FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]As the metal cools, the mold is broken away from the cherry-red prop and when it is cool enough to touch with gloved hands, the pour cup is cut off on a special chop saw. The prop undergoes more quality control inspections and then moves to the next building in the facility.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]The finishing room is where the forging is taken from a slightly rough form to the precision instrument it will become. During this phase, the prop will pass through the hands of at least a dozen highly skilled technicians that shape, sand, balance, blast, polish and install the hub insert with quality control specialists watching every step of the way. The last stop before the prop is boxed and shipped is one final quality control station where it is measured using computer-linked micrometers against the original blueprint. This measure ensures the prop will deliver the exact performance specifications it was designed to provide.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]With the right prop mated to your outboard or stern drive, you will achieve ultimate performance and enhanced fuel economy, two things that can dramatically improve your overall boating experience.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif][EDITOR'S NOTE] Find a complete selection of propellers at iboats.com.[/FONT]
[FONT=Trebuchet MS, Lucida Grande, Arial, sans-serif]Article courtesy of Yamaha motors. For additional information on Yamaha boating, visit yamahaoutboards.com[/FONT]
