Glass Fibre Fabrics

A range of glass fibre reinforcement fabrics and tapes are offered:

• Uni-directional woven glass fabrics with plain or twill weaves and a choice of weights from 190 g/m to 1220 g/m
• Biaxial glass cloths with +/- 45⁰   bias fibre orientationin a range of weights from 25g/m to 770g/m
• ‘Multi-axial’ glass fibre fabrics, also known as ‘non-crimp fabrics’ (NCF), available in standard widths of 1270 mm (2540 mm to order), with variable lengths and weights ranging from 150 gr/m² to 600 gr/m².

A choice of glass multi-axial fabrics and tapes with different fibre orientations are available:

• unidirectional   0º
• biaxial   ±45º / 0º 90º
• triaxial   0º±45 / 90º±45º
• quadri-axial   0º +45º 90º -45

All multi-axial fabrics can also be stitched with a combination layer of glass roving, mat, felts, veils and other tissues.

Carbon Fibre Fabrics

A range of woven carbon fibre fabrics and tapes are available, along with a range of multi-axial (non-crimp) ultra-light carbon fibre structural fabrics produced using the latest ‘tow spreading” technology, enabling them to be used as a finishing layer in the laminate.  Both standard and high modulus carbon fibre grades are available.   These high performance structural carbon fibre fabrics are primarily used in motorsports & automotive, aerospace & defence, marine, and sports goods applications.

Carbon fabrics products with the following choice of fibre orientations is available:

• biaxial 0º/90º from 150gr/m² to 600 gr/m²
• biaxial ±45º from 150 gr/m² to 600 gr/m²
• triaxial -45º/90°/+45° from 225 gr/m² to 900 gr/m²
• triaxial ±45º/ 0° from 225 gr/m² to 900 gr/m²
• quadriaxial -45º/90°/+45°/ 0° from 300 gr/m² to 1600 gr/m²

Aramid Fibre Fabrics

A range of specialty woven fabrics, tapes and multi-axial technical fabrics made from Aramid fibers are supplied.  Aramid fibre fabrics are typically specified for very high performance applications in aerospace and military applications, for fire protection, for ballistic rated body armour and panels, and for other applications requiring resistance to sharp, very high energy impact load resistant light weight composite component.

Aramids are successfully combined with E and S-Glass as well as carbon fibers to enhance the laminate impact and thickness properties at the lowest possible weight, known as hybrids fabrics, which are also supplied.

Hybrid Fabrics

Hybrid fabrics are techncal fabrics which are made from more than one type of structural reinfocement fibre.  The different fibres are woven  together to optimise the properties needed from the individual fibres that are in the hybrid fabric.

For high performance composites, typical hybrid woven and multi-axial (NCF) technical fabrics used, which are availabe from GMS Composites are:

Carbon / Aramid

The high impact resistance and tensile strength of aramid fibre needs the higher compressive and tensile strength of carbon fibre for overall high performance. Both carbon and aramid fibres have low densities but relatively high costs.

Aramid / Glass

The low density, high impact resistance and high tensile strength of aramid fibre needs the better compressive strength of glass, which also lowers cost.

Carbon / Glass

Carbon fibre provdes high tensile strength, compressive strength and increased stiffness, also reducing laminate weight due to its lower density, with glass reducing cost.

Please ask for further details about the range of hybrid fabrics which can be supplied to order.

Vacuum Consumables

A complete range of vacuum consumables for moulding at high, medium and low temperatures is available.  There is a wide choice of consumables needed to successfully carry out vacuum infusion moulding of a fibreglass resin or fibre reinforced prepreg part.

This includes:

• Vacuum bagging films
• Double sided sealant tapes
• Other double sided tapes
• Breather felts
• Release films
• Peel plies

Mould Release Agents

GMS Composites supplies Mavcoat® mould release coatings especially for composites, which are designed to simplify production.  A range of solvent and water based mould release agents, cleaners and sealers are available which are suitable to use with: epoxy, phenolic, polyester, and polyvinyl ester resins in wet lay-up or prepreg forms and for the following composite manufacturing processes:

• RTM
• Mandrel Wrapping
• Autoclaving
• Filament Winding
• Vacuum Bagging
• Compression Moulding

Key Features

• Only a single coat is needed.
• No need to use sealers or primers.
• Highly non-stick (low coefficient of friction)
• No drying time
• Water-based, odourless, non-toxic, non-staining
• Non-migrating onto moulded part
• Non-flammable, Chemically inert and insoluble
• High thermal stability over a wide range of operating temperatures

Key Benefits

• No hard film build-up of release agent on tooling
• Finished parts are demoulded cleanly and easily.
• Easy to clean mould part surface
• Moulded parts are easy to post paint, print and decorate.

Download

1. Download the Mavcoat® Mould Release Coatings for Composites Brochure

Mould Release Agents for Carbon Fiber Parts

Mavcoat has developed a range of release agents especially formulated for moulding carbon fibre parts to improve quality by helping to eliminate surface pinholes.  The Mavcoat carbon fibre release agent acts like a lubricant, allowing the resins to easily flow at gel temperature and cure without porosity to produce a cosmetically perfect part.

Metal Mould Cleaners

A non-flammable metal cleaning gel is available.  The metal mould cleaning gel dissolves, encapsulates, and lifts all thermoset resins, epoxies, phenolics, urethanes, and thermoplastics from metal moulds. The gel does not drip and will cling to vertical surfaces and safely strip away any residues and build-up right down to the metal surface without attacking metal.

Metal & Composite Mould Sealers

A mould sealer is needed if there are any moulded part surface quality issues due to porosity in the tool surface.  The choice of mould sealers available, for either a metal or a composite mould, need to be applied prior to applying a release agent.

• Mavcoat AD – will seal any porosity in a composite tool made from either an unsaturated polyester or epoxy resin.  It is also suitable for most other composite resins.
• Mavcoat ND – is designed to seal any micro-porosity in metal tools, preparing the surface before applying the mould release agent.

Global Delivery Service

From its production facility in Melbourne, Australia, GMS Composites provides a reliable and professional global supply and delivery service to customers for all its manufactured to order high performance prepreg products.

All prepregs rolls are taped and individually packed in a sealed moisture proof bag and protective outer box.

Delivery of customer orders can be direct to the fabrication production facility or via a GMS Composites appointed regional agent or distributor.