Key Considerations With Composite Fiberglass

Composites are becoming the material of choice in many industries, replacing plastics and metals. Their extreme versatility, strength, and durability make them preferable in high-performance applications. In particular, they are widely used in manufacturing aerospace components, race cars, boating equipment, sporting goods, and other industrial applications.

Throughout the years, fiberglass in polyester resin — or simply composite fiberglass — has become the most extensively used composite material, especially in industrial gaskets. It delivers better insulation and aids in the protection of machinery, energy conservation, and the safety of the workforce.

This article will discuss composite fiberglass and the critical factors to consider when designing it.

What Is Fiberglass?

Fiberglass is fiber-reinforced plastic in which glass fiber serves as the filler material. It is electrically and thermally insulating, making it useful in applications where signal interference should be avoided. Although the thin glass filaments are larger than carbon fiber, they are not as strong. However, they are more flexible.

Goodwinds Composites’ fiberglass is made by pultruding glass fiber to make solid, round rods, and by filament winding to make hollow, round tubes.

Factors To Consider When Designing With Composite Fiberglass

Maximizing fiberglass’s advantageous properties for designing is critical in achieving the desired results. Here are some aspects you should consider:

Type of Fiberglass

Fiberglass composites are classified based on the raw materials used and their applications. As a result, it is critical to select the appropriate type for your requirements.

• A-Glass: Also referred to as alkali glass, it is the most frequently used fiberglass type. It is moderately priced, highly machinable, and can be re-melted and re-softened multiple times, making it an excellent choice for glass recycling.
• C-Glass: Also referred to as chemical glass, it serves as a surface tissue in the exterior surface of laminates for water, chemical, and tank pipes. Moreover, it has the best chemical stability in corrosive environments because of the high level of calcium borosilicate used during the glass formulation process.
• D-Glass: Dielectric fiberglass is frequently used in electrical appliances and cookware. Its composite contains boron trioxide, which makes it ideal for optical cables due to its low electrical conductivity.
• E-Glass: Also known as electrical glass, it is an industry standard that offers a good balance of performance and cost. It is also a lightweight fiberglass used in aerospace, marine, and industrial applications.
• S-Glass: Structural glass is known for its mechanical properties. It has a higher modulus and tensile strength than E-glass fiberglass. It is also intended for use in the defense and aerospace sectors. Goodwinds Composites offers this fiberglass type.

Design Information

The design and manufacturing versatility of fiberglass allow for the consolidation of parts and the incorporation of many features, lowering the total price.

Goodwinds Composites offer solid round fiberglass rods in black and white sizes from 0.062 in. to 0.750 in. in diameter and up to 12 ft. long for custom cut orders. Additionally, we provide fiberglass tubes called Filament Wound Epoxy Tubes (FWET) with a range of diameters from 0.248 in. to 1.065 in.

Manufacturing Process

There are ways to manufacture composite fiberglass rods and tubes. The two most common include the following:

• Pultrusion: Pultrusion involves combining glass fibers and liquid resin to produce fiber-reinforced plastic, also known as fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP). It is also excellent for creating solid or hollow profile-like flat bars, channels, pipes, tubing, and rods.
• Filament winding: Filament winding is a common method for producing hollow or spherical parts such as pipes and tanks. It employs a specialized machine that winds fiber tows continuously onto a rotating mandrel.

High-Quality Fiberglass Rods & Tubes From Goodwinds Composites

Since 2008, Goodwinds Composites has been delivering exceptional custom composite products and services! We keep a large stock of fiberglass rods and tubes on hand, providing our customers with quick solutions for immediate requirements for replacement parts and when creating prototype designs.

If your project requires many fiberglass rods or tubes in custom lengths, we are delighted to produce fiberglass to your exact specifications! We also perform precision machining on fiberglass, such as chamfering, drilling, milling, and grinding. Contact us now and let us know how we can help you.