FiberglassBlog.com » weight http://fiberglassblog.com All About FRP Composites Sun, 22 Jan 2012 16:26:53 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Composite Dock http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/12/08/composite-dock/ http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/12/08/composite-dock/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:45:28 +0000 AKeson http://fiberglassblog.com/?p=230 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> Building outdoor structures around water require special considerations.  Wood rots, steel rusts, and dirt erodes.  Fiberglass composites have been making strides in uses for marine-related activities.  Round fiberglass pilings can replace wood pilings, and sheet pilings made of steel can be replaced with fiberglass retention walls.

The fiberglass composites have several advantages.  They have a much longer service life because they do not rot or corrode.  Compared to wood structures, they are more uniform in size.  They are typically lower in weight to allow for lower lifting, handling, and transportation load requirements.

All of these advantages are used by a company called Green Heron Docks that builds docks in a “green” manner.  Their docks are build from the previous dock sections, allowing for minimal interruption of the surrounding environment.  Their installed docks will have a long life that will not require replacement related disturbance for time to come.

Their video on Youtube

As you can see, their equipment is relatively lightweight and inexpensive compared to bringing in cranes and barges.  Their environmental impact is minimal, and the resulting product has a very long service life that will endure for years to come.

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]]> http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/12/08/composite-dock/feed/ 0 The Green Aspects of SMC http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/04/22/the-green-aspects-of-smc/ http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/04/22/the-green-aspects-of-smc/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:52:49 +0000 AKeson http://fiberglassblog.com/?p=65 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) is used to create many composite parts especially for the transportation industry, and contributes heavily to a positive environmental impact.  SMC has been developed over the last 25 years to replace steel/sheet metal mostly in transportation applications.  It is widely used in many heavy duty semi truck hoods, agricultural equipment, and pickup trucks, SUV’s and muscle cars.

The main goal of this substitution is to reduce weight, which improves fuel efficiency.  Other positive side effects include fewer assembly operations, additional design freedom, dent and impact resistance, and the elimination of corrosion.  Several “green” resin formulations have been introduced that make use of bio resins, which use much more renewable resources such as soy products.  The fillers and reinforcements in this material can also be made from recycled and renewable materials.

SMC has overcome several hurdles in order to get to its present use and application.  General acceptance and education had to be proven to the OEM manufacturers and consumers.  Paint application and adhesion was one large consideration that had to be proven out.  There were issues with popping and blistering from the SMC surface.  Making sure the SMC parts held dimensions and aesthetics was also an important milestone.

SMC has become widely used today for many applications, and will find its way into many more.  The weight saving aspects are paramount for reducing fuel consumption.  The anti-corrosion and dent resistance are loved by consumers.

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]]> http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/04/22/the-green-aspects-of-smc/feed/ 0 Technicals on Fiberglass Mat http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/02/07/technicals-on-fiberglass-mat/ http://fiberglassblog.com/2009/02/07/technicals-on-fiberglass-mat/#comments Sat, 07 Feb 2009 15:19:00 +0000 AKeson http://badger98.wordpress.com/2009/02/07/technicals-on-fiberglass-mat/ Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> One of the most confusing parts of the glass reinforcement is the identification of the specific materials. They have various nomenclature depending upon the manufacturer of the matting, and sometimes depending upon the customer and application as well. These glass products all come on rolls of various widths and lengths, again depending upon manufacturer and customer, but pricing may be affected for specialized sizes. Wholesale fiberglass is sold by weight as opposed to yardage or square footage or anything else. Retail fiberglass is sometimes sold by the package or area depending upon the seller.

The nonwoven mats, such as Continuous Filament Mat and Chopped Strand Mat, are measured in ounces per square foot. The common weights are 3/4, 1, 1.5, 2, and 3 ounces per square foot.

The woven mats are measured in ounces per square yard. A traditional DBM1708 is composed as a double bias woven in the +/-45 direction weighing 17 oz/sq yard and stitched to a 3/4 oz Chopped Strand Mat, which would come to a real total weight of around 24 oz per sq. yard.

There are also different types of glass. E glass is the base, general purpose, high volume workhorse glass fiber formulation. The S glass is a high tensile strength glass that is more expensive but has greater physical properties. C glass exists to be used in applications where high chemical resistance is important. These are the main classification types of glass fibers.

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