Hand Lay-up of Glass Reinforced Plastic (GRP)
The easiest method of making a GRP product, e.g. a canoe is to use a mould. The mould may be made from GRP or it may be made from another structurally strong material.
The mould is first checked for defects, any scratches etc. are filled. The mould is then polished with a wax polish to a very smooth, high quality finish. Next, a very thin film of a liquid release agent is applied. The wax and the release agent are there to prevent the glass fibre product from sticking to the mould.
A layer of resin mixed with a pigment is then applied all over the inside of the mould. This layer is known as a gel coat. |
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When the resin has cured, a layer of reinforcing material such as strand glass fibre is laid inside the mould and a measured amount of polyester resin is stippled and rolled into the reinforcing layer.
This layer is also allowed to cure.
More layers may be applied until the required thickness is achieved.
When the product has fully cured, it may be removed from the mould. The coloured gel coat that was on the inside of the mould is now the exterior covering of the GRP product.
Any blemishes in the mould will have been reproduced in the finished moulding. |
Learn about Plastics
Multimedia Design and Technology Education uses animations and supporting technology notes to teach about plastics and plastics processes.
Animations describe plastics processes in probably the most clear way possible, making plastics processes easy to understand, learn and remember.
All the plastics processing technology notes and animations can be found in the plastics section of
our Key Stage 3 Design and technology software and in the Plastics Notes and Animations software package.
Click on a link below to view animations of plastics processes.
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