“Aerospace Grade” is commonly referenced in the composite industry as establishing a basis of the highest standard within composite grade […]

In the penultimate post in this guest series from Chris Rogers from ExploreComposites.com, Chris dives into using Pre-Pregs, Resin Transfer […]

We will be performing our annual company-wide materials inventory from December 28th through December 31st. Due to the nature of […]

We’re back from the holiday break with Chris Rogers from ExploreComposites.com & the third installment of his Creating with Composite Materials posts. This week’s topic is Infusion methods including Vacuum Infusion, VARTM & Closed-Cavity Bag Molding.So you place a stack of dry fiber reinforcement in the mold followed by a vacuum bag with some fancy […]

In the second installment of this series, Chris Rogers from ExploreComposites.com takes us through the process & some pitfalls involved with Vacuum Bagged Wet Layup.

Bagged wet layup is just like “open
molding” up to the point that all the reinforcement and resin are laminated in
the mold. Instead of just moving along and letting the resin cure, […]

Our friend Chris Rogers from ExploreComposites.com
joins us today with this first installment of the various ways you can build
with composite materials. Make sure to check-out more of Chris’ posts and great
information at ExploreComposites.com
.There are lots of different ways to
build with composite materials! The variety can make it really confusing to
choose what path to go down […]

This past year we’ve had reports of our Blue Reflections fabric fading
after time. We investigated and performed our own tests with our partner
Pro-Set to try to get to the bottom of the issues we had been told
about.

When it comes to layup
processes, attention to detail can make the difference between a scrap /
defective part and one of nearly complete perfection. However, it seems that
nothing in the process of layup is ever quick and easy. Between tool
maintenance/cleaning, ply cut, resin prep, gel coat application, surface plys,
resin mixing, bagging schemes, oven setups…………. We get […]

Breather Cloth plays a distinct role in providing complete
compaction when working in conjunction with vacuum / autoclave cures. As a
vital part of the bagging process, Breather cloth provides a physical layer of
separation between the bagging film and the part. This small separation
channels air and volatiles out while evenly consolidating pressure on the part
as vacuum pressure […]

Drilling is one of the most challenging
aspects in secondary processing of composite fabrication. To most effectively
drill or machine of machine this material it is important to understand what
makes these composites different. Because although composites have metal like characteristics
in material properties, they are very different in a sense of how they are processed
through drilling and machining […]

Location tabs can be
used on a tool and / or part for locating & loading a part to a trim
fixture, inspection fixture, or for mounting a part within a composite
structure for bonding or assembly purposes. Often, these location tabs are
sacrificial and an “Add-on” to the existing ply structure of that part. These
Locational tabs offer the […]

When choosing a specific fabric for a given
project, there is more than just the selection of carbon vs fiberglass or Kevlar.
In fact, after the fiber type has been selected, the weave types, twills,
directions may also give anyone, (beginner to expert) a dumbfounded head
scratch. Especially true in carbon fiber selection, the differences in twills,
unis, and woven […]