Glass Reinforced Plastics

Glass Reinforced Plastics

1. Manufacturing a Product in GRP

   • Stage 1
     • A high-quality mould is prepared. This is the 'negative of the product being produced.
   • Stage 2
     • A release agent is sprayed on to the mould. If this is not done the final product will not be able to be removed from the mould.
   • Stage 3
     • A gel coat is applied to the mould. This is a thin layer of special resin that will form the outer skin of the final product. This will end up being a shiny layer and will be coloured. The colour is produced by adding a pigment to the gel coat.
   • Stage 4
     • At this point alternative layers of resin plus catalyst and glass matting are placed in the mould. It is important that the resin in worked well into the matting to ensure the best finish. Usually in an item like a fibreglass canoe, there should be about six layers of glass matting impregnated with resin.