Proper Tooling Design Matters
Early in my composites career, I owned a small shop focused exclusively on manufacturing whitewater racing kayaks and canoes, which was really just an excuse to support my own personal racing habit and...
Composite Structural Connections
Composite Structural Connections As the polymer composites industry continues to grow, questions arise concerning connections between composites and between composites and other materials such as metals,...
Composites Repair
Composite parts are widely used due to their unique properties, including durability. Unfortunately, even the best designed and best made parts can be damaged by unforeseen circumstances either at the OEM or...
Creating an Inspection Plan
While composites inspection takes place after parts are manufactured, the plans for such inspections are developed based on work completed well before the piece or product is fabricated. Inspection is a...
Controlled Spray and NARA
Controlled spray and non-atomized resin application (NARA) are best practices that apply to open molding processes, including gel coat application. These practices were developed by ACMA to reduce emissions...
Mixing Organic Peroxides into Composite Materials
The mixing of organic peroxides (OPs) into unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) can make a critical difference between a good part and an increasing scrap rate. The key is in the order of mixing and reducing the...
