PROCESSES & MATERIALS

Gelcoating:

Like paint, virtually any color can be supplied. Pigmented polyester resin is applied to the mold to create a durable surface that can be buffed and polished or scuff sanded and painted. A wide variety of gelcoat formulas are available to meet our customers’ specific requirements.

Resin Transfer Molding (RTM /Lite RTM):

RTM is a molding process that uses two-sided molds to form the part. The lower mold cavity is rigid, while the upper mold can be rigid, semi-rigid or flexible. The style of mold will depend on production volume and dimensional tolerances. The reinforcement materials are cut to patterns and placed in the mold cavity. After the reinforcement materials are placed in the mold cavity, the two sides are closed and the resin is injected into the mold cavity.

Vacuum Infusion Molding:

Vacuum infusion is a subset of RTM where the upper mold is replaced by plastic sheeting and resin distribution medium. Multiple layers of reinforcing materials can be loaded in the mold; then a vacuum port draws resin into the loaded mold. Vacuum is maintained while the part cures to compress the laminate and expel any excess resin. This process requires longer cycle times, but results in lower part weights and better strength to weight ratios.

Open molding:

A rigid mold provides the shape of the part, while part thickness is determined by the amount of material applied to the mold. Chopper guns spray chopped glass fibers mixed with catalyzed resin. Stitched reinforcements and cores can be embedded in the chopped fiberglass for added strength. For hand lay up, fiberglass mat or cloth is saturated with resin and then applied to the mold.

Composite Tooling:

Attbar's highly skilled tooling department produces molds for both internal use and third party end use. Simple patterns can be developed in-house, and we partner with local pattern makers to build more complex shapes. Attbar's engineers work with 2-D drawings as well as 3-D CAD files and models.

Bonding & Assembly:

Attbar will source and install sub-components to supply customers with a complete assembly. Hinges, latches and other hard points can be attached with traditional fasteners or with structural adhesives. Attbar can also design and build fixtures to drill, assemble and bond together sub-components and reinforcements to create the final product.

Surface Coating:

Attbar uses HVLP spray equipment to apply industrial and automotive grade paints and coatings to your products. We can apply acrylic, epoxy or urethane coatings and ensure that your completed product meets or exceeds your coating specifications.

Carbon Fiber & Aramid Applications:

Carbon fiber is used to achieve greater stiffness and strength without increasing weight. The resin matrix used with carbon fiber is typically vinylester or epoxy, and other fibers such as Kevlar and engineered fiberglass mats can be combined with carbon fiber to customize the laminate properties for the specific demands of the customer.

Aramid fibers are a class of heat resistant and strong synthetic reinforcement material. They are commonly used in aerospace and military applications. The chain molecules of aramid fibers are highly oriented along the fiber axis, so the strength of the chemical bond can be exploited.

If you have a particular application that requires a high strength to weight ratio or heat resistance, our engineers can develop a laminate schedule to meet your product needs.