The swatches of fabric are cut from sail material. in this case either Dacron, Nylon or a kevlar/mylar laminate. each material has Its own sets of properties. because most of the products are made from thermalplastic materials, they are best cut with heat, so as to reseal frayed edges as the material is cut. as the material is cut out, the pieces are laid out and attatched using a thin double sided mylar tape, known as basting tape. this tape helps to reduce puckering along the seams as well as create a more air tight seal along the seams. In the case of laminate materials, a differet type of tape is required. The frailty of the mylar used in the initial factory lamination makes straight sewing this material fruitless. Mylar is easily ripped and the kevlar weave pattern in relatively loose, giving the fabric its signature transparancy. The combination of these traits often leads to tearing seams in a sewn laminate material. To combat this problem, sailrites have come up with a special basting tape made of high strength Dacron Canvas for laminate sails. This tape holds the fabric togeter for stitching, but also provides a tightly woven layer of material to stop a running split seam.
The materials pieces are sewn together one by one to create a gore based pattern, defining either a round or geometric faceted form. Velcro is used to create a sort of service hatch in the side of these particular pieces, to aid in the installation. a blower port is attatched to the side of the pieces, and blowers are attatched to a motion sensitive electrical system which causes the pieces to inflate and deflate.
In some cases, Cast iron weights are added to the pieces to work against the force of the blowers. a
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