Fibreglass Technology Course

Lesson 1 • Core Materials and Sandwich Structures

Explains foam, balsa, and honeycomb cores used to increase panel stiffness without added weight. Students calculate weight-to-stiffness trade-offs for sandwich panel design.

Lesson 2 • Resin Systems Overview

Introduces polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resins as the primary matrix materials. Students match resin chemistry to performance requirements and cost constraints.

Lesson 3 • Reinforcement Fabric Architectures

Covers woven, chopped strand mat, and multiaxial fabrics and their effect on laminate properties. Students predict stiffness and strength outcomes from fabric choice.

Lesson 4 • History and Industrial Applications

Traces fibreglass development from early glass fibre experiments to modern composites. Grounds students in why the material dominates aerospace, marine, and construction sectors.

Lesson 1 • Ventilation and Air Quality Control

Explains local exhaust ventilation, dilution ventilation, and air monitoring for enclosed workspaces. Students design basic ventilation layouts that meet occupational exposure benchmarks.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment

Specifies respirator types, glove materials, eye protection, and protective clothing for laminating tasks. Students select and don correct PPE for each process stage.

Lesson 3 • Chemical Hazard Identification

Covers styrene, catalysts, solvents, and silica dust as primary workplace hazards. Students read safety data sheets and classify exposure risks accurately.

Lesson 4 • Waste Handling and Environmental Compliance

Addresses resin waste, catalyst containers, and fibre trim as regulated materials requiring proper disposal. Students document waste streams and apply compliant disposal procedures.

Lesson 1 • Power Tools and Cutting Equipment

Introduces angle grinders, jigsaws, routers, and sanders specific to fibreglass cutting and surface prep. Students operate each tool safely and achieve dimensional accuracy.

Lesson 2 • Mixing and Metering Equipment

Explains mechanical mixers, ratio pumps, and digital scales for accurate resin-to-catalyst ratios. Students calibrate equipment and verify mix ratios before production runs.

Lesson 3 • Hand Tools for Laminating

Covers rollers, brushes, squeegees, and trimming knives used in wet layup and finishing. Students select and maintain each tool for consistent resin application.

Lesson 4 • Workshop Layout and Organisation

Applies 5S principles to organise material storage, workflow paths, and hazardous material zones. Students produce a shop layout drawing that optimises safety and throughput.

Lesson 1 • Mold Backup Structure and Demolding

Builds the structural laminate behind the gelcoat and adds flanges, stiffeners, and mounting points. Students demold the finished mold without distortion and inspect for accuracy.

Lesson 2 • Mold Release Systems

Explains wax-based, semi-permanent, and PVA release agents and their application protocols. Students apply release systems that prevent adhesion without contaminating the laminate.

Lesson 3 • Plug Design and Construction

Covers plug geometry, draft angles, and material selection for foam, MDF, and tooling board plugs. Students build a dimensionally accurate plug that releases cleanly from the mold.

Lesson 4 • Tooling Gelcoat and Skin Coat

Covers tooling gelcoat formulation, spray and brush application, and skin coat layup over the plug. Students produce a void-free gelcoat surface that defines final part quality.

Lesson 1 • Resin Mixing and Catalyst Ratios

Establishes correct MEKP catalyst percentages, mixing procedures, and pot life management for polyester and vinyl ester resins. Students mix defect-free batches under varying shop temperatures.

Lesson 2 • Gelcoat Application for Parts

Covers pigmented gelcoat mixing, spray gun setup, and brush application for production parts. Students achieve uniform thickness and colour consistency across complex mould surfaces.

Lesson 3 • Cure Monitoring and Part Demolding

Monitors exotherm, Barcol hardness, and visual indicators to confirm full cure before demoulding. Students demould parts without surface damage and trim to net shape.

Lesson 4 • Fabric Cutting and Kitting

Teaches pattern development, fabric cutting on bias and straight grain, and pre-kitting for efficient layup. Students cut and label fabric kits that minimise waste and layup errors.

Lesson 1 • Roving Selection and Preparation

Explains direct roving tex weights, compatibility with spray-up resins, and creel setup for continuous feed. Students select roving grades that produce uniform chop length and wet-out.

Lesson 2 • Spray-Up Application Technique

Teaches gun distance, overlap pattern, and pass speed to achieve uniform thickness across mould surfaces. Students spray test panels and measure thickness variation within tolerance.

Lesson 3 • Spray-Up Equipment and Setup

Covers chopper gun components, resin pumps, catalyst injectors, and air supply requirements. Students assemble and calibrate spray-up equipment before production use.

Lesson 4 • Consolidation and Catalyst Management

Covers roller consolidation of sprayed laminate and real-time catalyst ratio adjustment for ambient conditions. Students maintain gel time control across a full production shift.

Lesson 1 • Infusion Consumables and Bagging

Covers peel ply, flow media, spiral tubing, vacuum bag film, and sealant tape selection and placement. Students build a complete infusion stack that seals and flows without leaks.

Lesson 2 • Resin Transfer Molding Basics

Introduces RTM tooling, injection pressure, and matched-die mould clamping for higher-volume closed moulding. Students compare RTM cycle times and quality outcomes against infusion.

Lesson 3 • Vacuum Infusion Principles

Explains resin flow through dry fibre preforms driven by atmospheric pressure and vacuum gradient. Students predict infusion flow fronts and identify potential dry spot locations.

Lesson 4 • Defect Analysis in Closed Mold Parts

Identifies dry areas, resin-rich zones, porosity, and bridging as closed-mould defects and their root causes. Students apply corrective actions to infusion parameters to eliminate recurring defects.

Lesson 1 • Painting and Topcoat Application

Teaches primer selection, two-part polyurethane topcoat mixing, and spray application for durable, UV-resistant finishes. Students produce a Class A surface finish on a demonstration part.

Lesson 2 • Surface Finishing and Fairing

Covers polyester filler application, progressive sanding, and guide coat use to achieve fair, smooth surfaces. Students fair a panel to within specified flatness tolerances before painting.

Lesson 3 • Cosmetic Repair and Gelcoat Patching

Covers star cracks, print-through, and osmotic blister repair using matched gelcoat and finishing techniques. Students restore cosmetic surfaces to an invisible repair standard.

Lesson 4 • Structural Repair of Fibreglass Parts

Addresses impact damage, delamination, and core damage repair using scarfing, wet layup, and infusion patches. Students restore structural integrity to damaged panels verified by tap testing.