Troubleshooting Six Common Gel Coat Issues
Although gel coats are often used as a surface finish for fiber-reinforced polymer composites, they shouldn’t be an afterthought considered only for enhancing aesthetics. Gel coats also protect FRP parts...
Five Guidelines for Mold Release
With any tool, understanding how to use it will optimize the performance. Mold release is no different. Regardless of what you’re molding, there are five general guidelines to keep in mind that will ensure...
Color Matching and Control for the Fabricator
In the composites industry, many products require some sort of color specification, written or implied. It is important for fabricators to understand the basic elements of color and color control in order to...
Design Considerations for Composite Hydraulic Structures
Over the past 15 to 20 years, hydraulic structures using FRP composites have been designed, manufactured and installed in several countries, including the United States, the Netherlands, Spain, China, the...
Troubleshooting SMC Compression Molding
Troubleshooting of any type is best done using a systematic process that gathers information about the problem and aims at its resolution. Utilizing an organized approach and documenting what is learned is...
Designing with Composites
When designing with composites, a key question must be addressed up front: Why composites? The answer to this question is likely to determine the direction taken to optimize the design while leveraging the...
