At Riber Products, we take great pride in manufacturing our Photon kayak from recycled materials right here in the UK. Riber produces many of its products using post-consumer materials. The photon was created using our combined 40 years of engineering and manufacturing experience, which we will detail in this blog below. Click here to see our PHOTON. The Photon was designed to emulate the performance of our other kayaks while offering a cheaper alternative.
Our in-house design team goes through a process of creating a concept artwork, in which they create different versions of the product and then determine which one they will take to the next stage of the design process. The concept artwork is then transformed into a 3D model using Solidworks. This process is vital in determining any adjustments and enhancements that need to be made to the aesthetics and functionality of the kayak. The kayak was altered to accommodate a slightly taller paddler as well as making some moulding–specific amendments to the design, ensuring the plastic would be blown into all the correct places making it robust. The finishing touches are made to the design, which can then be moved to the next stage of the process.
Once the designs have been finalised, they can then be used to make a mould for the blow moulding process. After the tool has been cut, the mould is mounted onto the blow moulding machine.
The Photon are created from recycled HDPE, which comes directly from the UK, meaning we are reducing the number of miles the final product will travel, helping to lower our costs. This allows us to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill and create a more sustainable environment.
The recycled plastic is processed into granules which are then moved into a big hopper and melted. The melted plastic then goes through a barrel to fill the accumulator. When the accumulator has been filled, it then injects the plastic out, forming a parison. A parison is a big tube of plastic that is sealed at both ends. The mould is then placed around the parison and two needles come into the cylinder and blow air continuously into the mould. This whole process takes around 8-10 minutes.
After the product has cooled down, it can then be removed from the mould. The excess plastic can then be trimmed off, so it can be repurposed into another Photon! Then, the boats are left to cure for 24 hours, allowing them to become fully solid - helping us to create the strongest product we can.
Now the Photon has been cured, it can then be fitted with the final components and quality control tested. The quality control process involves inspecting for leaks, seam defects, and any other potential faults. As well as this, the boat needs to be able to hold internal pressure without dropping before the fitting process can begin. The fitting includes adding the D-rings, handles, hatches and everything else you would expect from our kayaks.
Finally, after the kayaks have been assembled, they are packaged and prepared for distribution. This process allows us to produce a lightweight, durable and watertight kayak in just a single piece!
Manufacturing our kayaks in the UK, significantly reduces the carbon footprint of the Photon, allowing us to make the planet just a little greener. As a result of this, the kayak travels fewer miles and allows us to be competitive in the prices we offer our customers. As well as the Photon we produce numerous other products in the UK, click here to see our full range of UK-made products.
