Fiberglass Part Fabrication Course

Lesson 1 • Ergonomics and Shop Organization

Covers workstation layout, repetitive motion injury prevention, and housekeeping standards. An organized shop reduces accidents and improves laminate quality.

Lesson 2 • Personal Protective Equipment Selection

Covers respirators, gloves, eye protection, and coveralls appropriate for laminating tasks. Correct PPE selection is matched to specific chemical and physical hazards.

Lesson 3 • Chemical Hazards in Fiberglass Work

Identifies styrene, acetone, MEKP, and silica dust as primary hazards. Students understand exposure routes and health consequences.

Lesson 4 • Ventilation and Air Quality Control

Explains local exhaust ventilation, general dilution airflow, and air monitoring for solvent vapors. Proper ventilation is required before resin work begins.

Lesson 1 • Resin Systems Overview

Introduces polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resins with their cure chemistry and performance trade-offs. Connects resin choice to part durability and cost.

Lesson 2 • Core Materials and Sandwich Structures

Explains foam, balsa, and honeycomb cores used to increase stiffness without added weight. Prepares students for multi-layer laminate design.

Lesson 3 • Fiberglass Reinforcement Types

Covers woven, chopped, and stitched glass fabrics and their structural properties. Students match reinforcement type to part requirements.

Lesson 4 • Material Storage and Handling

Covers shelf life, temperature sensitivity, and contamination risks for resins and fabrics. Proper handling prevents defects before fabrication begins.

Lesson 1 • Mold Maintenance and Repair

Covers polishing schedules, crack repair, and edge protection to extend mold service life. Maintained molds produce consistent part quality across production runs.

Lesson 2 • Mold Types and Construction Methods

Compares plug-based molds, splash molds, and machined tooling for different production volumes. Students select mold type based on part geometry and run quantity.

Lesson 3 • Mold Release Systems

Covers wax, semi-permanent, and polyvinyl alcohol release agents and their application sequences. Correct release application prevents part adhesion and surface damage.

Lesson 4 • Surface Defect Prevention

Identifies porosity, fish eyes, and print-through causes during mold preparation. Students apply corrective steps before lamination to avoid costly rework.

Lesson 1 • Air Entrapment and Void Elimination

Identifies trapped air sources and demonstrates rolling and stippling techniques to remove voids. Void-free laminates achieve design strength and surface quality.

Lesson 2 • Resin Mixing and Catalyst Control

Covers accurate catalyst measurement, pot life management, and temperature effects on cure rate. Correct mixing is the single most critical variable in hand layup.

Lesson 3 • Cure Monitoring and Part Demolding

Covers Barcol hardness testing, cure schedules, and safe demolding force application. Premature demolding causes warpage and surface damage.

Lesson 4 • Wet Layup Application Process

Demonstrates resin application, fabric placement, and consolidation sequence for multi-ply laminates. Students achieve full wet-out without excess resin.

Lesson 1 • Chopper Gun Equipment Overview

Introduces chopper gun components, roving feed systems, and catalyst injection mechanisms. Understanding equipment function enables accurate setup and troubleshooting.

Lesson 2 • Equipment Calibration and Setup

Covers resin output rate, chop length, and catalyst ratio calibration procedures. Calibrated equipment ensures repeatable laminate properties across parts.

Lesson 3 • Equipment Cleaning and Maintenance

Covers solvent flushing, catalyst line purging, and chopper blade replacement schedules. Neglected equipment causes production downtime and inconsistent part quality.

Lesson 4 • Spray-Up Application Technique

Teaches gun distance, overlap pattern, and pass speed for uniform deposition. Consistent technique prevents thin spots, resin-rich zones, and fiber clumping.

Lesson 1 • Infusion Setup and Dry Layup

Teaches fabric stack sequencing, flow media placement, and inlet and outlet port positioning. Correct dry layup setup determines infusion success before resin is introduced.

Lesson 2 • Resin Infusion Execution

Covers resin mixing, pot life management, flow front monitoring, and inlet clamping sequence. Students complete an infusion without dry spots or premature gel.

Lesson 3 • Bagging Materials and Consumables

Covers vacuum bag film, peel ply, breather cloth, and spiral tubing selection for infusion setups. Correct consumable selection prevents bag failure and flow problems.

Lesson 4 • Vacuum Infusion Process Principles

Explains resin flow mechanics, fiber compaction under vacuum, and the role of flow media. Understanding infusion physics prevents dry spots and race-tracking defects.

Lesson 1 • Gel Coat and Surface Defect Repair

Covers crack filling, blister repair, and gel coat color matching for cosmetic restoration. Repair techniques restore structural integrity and visual appearance simultaneously.

Lesson 2 • Structural Laminate Repair

Teaches scarfing, ply replacement, and secondary bonding for structural damage repair. Students restore laminate strength to original design values.

Lesson 3 • Trimming and Cutting Cured Laminates

Covers diamond blade cutting, router trimming, and hand tool use for accurate part edge finishing. Correct cutting technique prevents delamination and fiber fraying.

Lesson 4 • Polishing and Final Surface Finishing

Covers compound cutting, polishing, and wax application to achieve a high-gloss cosmetic finish. Final finishing is the last quality gate before part delivery.

Lesson 1 • Laminate Property Testing

Covers Barcol hardness, acetone wipe, and tap testing as in-process quality verification tools. These tests confirm cure state and detect delamination without destructive methods.

Lesson 2 • Production Documentation and Traceability

Establishes batch records, material traceability logs, and inspection sign-off requirements. Documentation supports warranty claims, audits, and continuous improvement.

Lesson 3 • Visual and Surface Quality Standards

Defines accept and reject criteria for gel coat defects, print-through, and surface waviness. Standardized criteria reduce subjective judgment in production inspection.

Lesson 4 • Non-Conformance and Corrective Action

Covers defect tagging, root cause analysis, and corrective action documentation for production rejects. Systematic non-conformance handling prevents recurring defects.