Composite Products

The Material

Glass Re-enforced Plastic is lightweight versatile and very strong material.

The typical cross section of a GRP product is resin material impregnated with fibreglass strand.

Almost any shape or form can be achieved using this material and any schedule of finishes applied. Finished products can be sprayed or products can be self-coloured as all resins can be pigmented to any colour.

The Process

The process begins with the application of a `gel coat` to the mould surface. This gel can be pigmented to any colour and usually forms the outer surface of the finished product. Gel is applied in the form of a thick paint, which can be brushed on to the mould or sprayed on.

Fibre Glass matting comes in the form of a dry cloth made from fibreglass strands. The matting comes in different weights, for example 450gm per square metre. Therefore the heavier the matting the thicker the matting.

This matting is then typically `wet out` with liquid resin until the matting becomes soaked and is then laid into the mould, onto the gel coat and worked to the mould form. Several layers can be applied to give component thickness and increased strength properties. After several hours the resin cures (becomes hard) and the form can then be stripped from the mould, trimmed and cleaned, giving the finished product.

There are a multitude of resins available on the market and many have special purposes such as high temperature resistance, fire retardant and fire proofing, high wear resistance to name a few.

Applications

GRP is used all over the world and in many different applications. Some would be:

Transport, vehicle interiors and exteriors.

Storage, tanks and small buildings.

Home and Garden, Bathroom suites, ponds and water features.

Building trade, soffits, exterior columns and other speciality features.

Promotional & Marketing, speciality display stands and features.

And many more……