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Meet Thomas Fyfe

Composites Technician

Thomas’ job title is Composites Technician for Princess Yachts

What I do

I make components for yachts that are being repaired or built, using composite materials and resins.

A yacht floating at sea.

Hear more about Thomas' role by watching the video below...

How I became a technician

At school I did Maths, Triple Award Science, Art and Design and Technology GCSEs. At A-level, I stuck with Maths and the sciences, and I went on to study mechanical engineering, but I didn’t enjoy it very much. I took a gap year and started looking for roles that I thought would be interesting. I came across composites and decided to give it a go, and I'm really enjoying it!

A typical day in my
working life

Each morning, I prioritise what jobs need doing. Each boat or yacht is made up of many components, so I might be building a component or carrying out repairs. I work in a team and the majority of what I do is ‘preparation’, which involves preparing a mould and then adding the materials I need to use. The process starts off on CAD (Computer Aided Design) software to create a 3D computer-aided design. This process is especially helpful for larger moulds which need very accurate dimensions.

A typical day in my
working life

The next stage is using a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine to cut out the design of a hardened material which is then laminated to make the mould. After this, I make the component using a type of resin which is a thermo-set plastic, and then there are several 'curing' stages before you the product is finished. A lot of the work is based on the cure time, so you must plan your day well and stagger what you’re working on. You also need to be organised and be good at working within precise time frames.

The company I work for is focused on making materials more sustainable. We are at the cutting edge of the future of composites, which I really like.

A surprising fact about my job

A lot of the focus is on making materials more sustainably. All the resins are thermo-set, so they can be remelted and reused, so we are already recycling those. There’s a lot of investment in this area of work, and we are at the cutting edge of the future of composites, which I really like. We’re also looking at using more natural fibres like flax, which haven’t really been explored yet, so there are lots of opportunities for the future.

A little more about
my everyday role

What I love most about my job

The end product! Composites is a massive part of how that component can be produced. You must keep your eyes on what you are building - I like the intricate work and the sense of satisfaction when you turn drawings into a finished part. I also enjoy using the CAD software and hope to do more of this in the future.

The best bits about working in a team

Everyone has their role to play. A lot of the technicians work on a line, so we have a specific target area which we are making a component for, such as the hull or the deck structure, and we all help each other when needed.

The next steps in my career journey

I would like to learn more about the design side of the composites, using the CAD design tool more and looking at the processes for making composites.

Think you could be a Composites Technician?

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