Knit canoe buoyed by 3D

VISIONknit, a technical knitting company based in Toronto, Canada, and Canadian collaborators Composite Creations, have launched a 3D knitted canoe. The VISIONknit material can be used on modern flat (v-bed) knitting machines and knit into patterns, accompanying logos and other design features. 

According to an article in Knitting Industry, the company’s patent pending material is a hybrid Kevlar-polyester, KR18. (The KR indicates Kevlar rebar.) Composite Creations, an advanced composite manufacturer, has worked on research and development of the KR18 fabric from the beginning. Based on the success of the fabric, the company has spun off a new company, Vision Canoe. 

Vision Canoe was built on the confidence in KR18’s ability to save time in production, reduce waste by creating shaped parts, and eliminating material and labor costs of adding graphics in the graphic design and layup processes, the article says.

Tests reported by the company show that elongation at breakor fracture strain(a measure of the material’s ability to resist changes in shape without cracking) exceeded Kevlar or fiberglass components by 24 times. 

The company foresees its hybrid material will benefit any fiberglass application that requires conforming to various shapes and benefits from incorporating myriad color designs. 

Canoe enthusiasts may soon look forward to paddling tartan canoes down waterways of their choosing.