More about Fiberglass Fabricators

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The term fiberglass is used to describe one of the following three products: material composed of fine glass fibers, glass-reinforced plastic, or the trademarked Fiberglas insulation. But, while fiberglass fabricators are involved in the creation of all three products, basic fiberglass fabrication refers to the manufacture of the ultra-thin glass fibers. This fiber is formed when silica-based is heated and extruded, although there are two predominant methods of manufacture.

The two methods of fiberglass fabrication both begin with solid raw materials, which are melted in a furnace to form a single molten mass. In the first method, the direct melt process, this molten silica-based glass is immediately sent through a number of small platinum-rhodium nozzles. The molten glass flows in thin strands from the nozzles and is wound onto bobbins. The second method, the marble remelt process, works in a similar manner, except that the original molten glass is first cut, cooled and packaged. The marbles of cooled glass is later remelted in a different furnace and sent through the rhodium nozzles. The nozzle unit is called the bushing. It is made of a platinum alloy because platinum enhances the movement of the molten glass. Pure platinum bushings are too effective, however, and cause the glass melt to run along the underside of the nozzle. The platinum bushing unit comprises much of the expense of glass fiber manufacture.

Glass fiber reinforced products (GRP) are typically called composites. Many fiberglass fabricators actually produce fiberglass-reinforced plastics (FRP), not glass fibers. All nature of products can be, and are, reinforced by fiberglass. Common reinforced materials include pipes, tanks, scrubbers, grating and custom manufacturing equipment. Fiberglass reinforced materials also play a large role in boat construction and other marine applications. Most hot tubs are made of some type of glass-reinforced plastic. Fiberglass reinforced plastics are known for their strength and resistance to corrosion. They can be worked into complex shapes by a number of molding and fabrication methods. Open molding, for instance, is an economical and time-efficient means of manufacturing FRPs. Bag molding, on the other hand, requires higher tooling costs, but allows for the fabrication of stronger materials. Other methods include cold molding, resin transfer molding and compression techniques.