POWERLITE PBO Rigging incorporates Applied Fiber’s Composite Termination Technology¹, unique to any termination product and process in the sailing industry.

COMPOSITE TERMINATION TECHNOLOGY Design Overview:

POWERLITE end-fittings, or terminations of POWERLITE cables are composed of a hard coated aircraft aluminum terminal with a hollow, expanding interior cavity. Specially engineered high-performance resin is then infused into the terminal cavity, encapsulating and bonding to each individual strand of PBO. The result after controlled curing is a composite termination entrapped within the aluminum terminal. This technology in combination with Applied Fiber’s processing technologies provide a termination that outperforms traditionally used “compression”, “spike and cone”, or “friction” fittings in 1) breaking strength (efficiency), 2) fatigue resistance, 3) length stability, and 4) performance repeatability.

• Breaking Strength and Fatigue Resistance
The composite termination facilitates both higher breaking strengths and fatigue resistance over traditional termination technology, by effectively minimizing the complex stresses associated with external couplings. Traditionally used “compression” or “spike and cone” fittings attain all their holding force by pinching the strands. This method of termination not only reduces a cable’s breaking strength, but also reduces long-term fatigue life. Composite Termination Technology attains its holding force though an adhesive bond that extends over 100X the diameter of the fiber. The encapsulated fibers are in a pre-aligned and natural state, so no damaging stress concentrations are present.

• Length Stability
Composite Termination Technology will never slip under use, so lengths are stable over time, temperature, and loading. This feature, in conjunction with Applied Fiber’s state-of-the-art processing technologies, produce lengths of rigging with exceptionally tight tolerances.

• Performance Repeatability
Every aspect of the termination process is tightly controlled in a clean-air environment, where humidity and temperature are measured and controlled. Resin and curing controls are also in place to provide a termination system that provides exceptionally consistent and repeatable performance. POWERLITE Termination Dependability: All components within POWERLITE termination are engineered to a higher working load limit than the cable itself (which also incorporates safety factors). Applied Fiber’s POWERLITE PBO cables are manufactured to industry leading standards and tested to provide rigging systems of unsurpassed reliability.

¹ Patents Pending and Insured