Fiberglass Truck Cap Factory
A.R.E. Truck Caps are fiberglass composite pickup truck accessories that add features and benefits to make these vehicles more user friendly and customized to the user’s needs. These are made in a traditional fiberglass factory and they posted a tour on Youtube.
The method they use to fabricate these parts is very similar to most open-molded fiberglass parts of all kinds. The molds, tools, materials, and methods are similar to marine, consumer, automotive, and other recreational applications. The parts are basically made from the outside in: gelcoat, fist laminate, second laminate, and support structure.
This factory tour that is very interesting. You can see that all of the fiberglass parts are made using a gray sandable gelcoat, which is later painted to match the vehicle color. This gelcoat can also be colored and used as the finished surface, such as done many times in the boating industry. The gelcoat is difficult to match with factory vehicle paint colors and does not allow for metallic and pearl coloring effects.
Composite RFQ
An interesting website that I recently discovered is called CompositeRFQ.com, which is a website dedicated specifically to the composites industry, and filling Requests for Quotes. This website works to match composites fabrication shops with those businesses and individuals needing composites fabrication work completed.
A project is posted by the person with work needing to be performed. The proper industry is selected, choosing from aerospace, architecture, automotive, boating, military, and sporting goods. Additional information documents can be attached for further scope identification. Bidding details can then be specified by the person posting the project.
Composites fabricators with related expertise and experience can bid on these projects in an effort to identify work opportunities for their business. If a bid is accepted, the details are worked out directly between the bidder and the buyer, eliminating any third party costs and delays. Bidders and Buyers can go back and leave feedback after the job is complete.
Composite RFQ has some free accounts to go in and look around. There is a very interesting page about using Composite RFQ that very easily explains how it work s graphically.
This site is a great tool to bring the composites world together between buyers and sellers. The old word of mouth method of finding fabricators and customers is great, but does not always lead down the best path. Small fabrication shops have difficulty advertising their services to the appropriate customers that might be looking for the type of work that they do, and now they can go and bid directly on the types of projects they can handle.