Fiberglass Composites Course

Lesson 1 • Fiberglass Fiber Types and Forms

Covers E-glass, S-glass, and specialty fiber variants and their mechanical properties. Connects fiber selection to end-use performance requirements.

Lesson 2 • Resin Systems Overview

Introduces polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resins used with fiberglass. Explains how resin chemistry affects cure behavior and final part properties.

Lesson 3 • Industry Applications and Market Sectors

Surveys marine, aerospace, automotive, construction, and wind energy applications. Contextualizes why material choices vary across sectors.

Lesson 4 • Health, Safety, and Regulatory Basics

Outlines chemical hazards, exposure limits, and personal protective equipment requirements. Establishes a safety-first mindset before any hands-on work begins.

Lesson 1 • Fiber Architecture and Reinforcement Design

Examines unidirectional, biaxial, and multiaxial fabrics and their load-bearing behavior. Connects fiber orientation to structural performance outcomes.

Lesson 2 • Material Storage and Shelf Life

Addresses proper storage conditions, shelf-life limits, and incoming material inspection. Prevents quality failures caused by degraded or contaminated materials.

Lesson 3 • Material Property Data and Specifications

Teaches how to read technical data sheets and material specifications for procurement and design. Builds the ability to compare materials using standardized property data.

Lesson 4 • Core Materials for Sandwich Structures

Covers foam, balsa, and honeycomb cores used to increase stiffness without added weight. Links core selection to structural and cost trade-offs.

Lesson 1 • Mold Finishing and Maintenance

Addresses mold polishing, repair, and ongoing maintenance to extend service life. Connects mold condition to consistent part surface quality.

Lesson 2 • Mold Surface Preparation and Gelcoat

Details mold release agent application and gelcoat layup for a durable mold surface. Proper preparation prevents adhesion and surface defects in production parts.

Lesson 3 • Plug and Pattern Construction

Explains how to build master plugs from foam, wood, or existing parts. Connects plug quality directly to mold surface accuracy.

Lesson 4 • Mold Design Principles

Covers draft angles, parting lines, and flange design for successful part release. Establishes design rules that prevent costly tooling failures.

Lesson 1 • Spray-Up Process and Equipment

Covers chopper gun operation, roving selection, and spray pattern control for spray-up lamination. Links operator technique to laminate thickness uniformity and mechanical properties.

Lesson 2 • Hand Layup Lamination Technique

Explains wet-out, consolidation, and ply sequencing for hand layup laminates. Correct technique eliminates voids and ensures fiber-to-resin ratio targets are met.

Lesson 3 • Gelcoat Application Techniques

Teaches spray and brush gelcoat application, thickness control, and cure verification. Gelcoat quality determines the cosmetic and protective performance of the finished part.

Lesson 4 • Workspace and Process Setup

Covers environmental controls, material staging, and equipment preparation before lamination. Proper setup reduces defects and improves laminate consistency.

Lesson 1 • Infusion Consumables and Bagging Materials

Covers peel ply, flow media, spiral tubing, and vacuum bag film selection and placement. Correct consumable selection directly controls resin distribution and laminate quality.

Lesson 2 • Resin Infusion Execution

Covers resin mixing, pot life management, feed line setup, and flow front monitoring. Successful execution requires coordinated timing and real-time process adjustment.

Lesson 3 • Dry Fabric Layup for Infusion

Teaches dry preform construction, fabric sequencing, and core integration before bagging. Proper preform quality prevents dry spots and resin race-tracking during infusion.

Lesson 4 • Principles of Vacuum-Assisted Resin Infusion

Explains resin flow mechanics, vacuum pressure, and permeability in infusion processes. Builds the theoretical foundation needed to troubleshoot infusion problems.

Lesson 1 • Prepreg Materials and Storage

Covers prepreg construction, out-time tracking, and freezer storage protocols. Proper material management prevents resin advancement that degrades laminate quality.

Lesson 2 • Autoclave Cure Cycle Development

Covers temperature ramp rates, dwell times, pressure application, and cool-down profiles. Cure cycle parameters directly control void content, fiber volume, and mechanical properties.

Lesson 3 • Out-of-Autoclave Prepreg Processing

Introduces oven-cure and vacuum-only prepreg systems as lower-cost alternatives. Compares achievable laminate quality to full autoclave processing.

Lesson 4 • Vacuum Bagging for Autoclave Cure

Details breather, bleeder, and release film selection and bagging sequence for autoclave processing. A leak-free bag is essential for achieving target consolidation pressure.

Lesson 1 • Mechanical Testing of Laminates

Explains tensile, flexural, and interlaminar shear strength testing for laminate qualification. Test results are used to verify that laminates meet design allowables.

Lesson 2 • Visual and Dimensional Inspection

Covers surface defect identification, dimensional measurement, and inspection documentation. Establishes baseline inspection skills applied in every subsequent quality activity.

Lesson 3 • Common Defect Types and Root Causes

Catalogs voids, delaminations, dry spots, print-through, and resin-rich areas with their causes. Root cause understanding enables targeted process corrections.

Lesson 4 • Defect Disposition and Repair Authorization

Covers accept-as-is, rework, and reject dispositions and the documentation required for each. Connects quality decisions to structural integrity and customer requirements.

Lesson 1 • Advanced Fabrication Techniques

Introduces filament winding, pultrusion, and automated fiber placement as high-volume or precision processes. Connects process selection to production volume and performance requirements.

Lesson 2 • Cosmetic and Surface Repair Techniques

Addresses gelcoat repair, surface filling, and blending for cosmetic restoration. Proper technique produces repairs that are invisible after final finishing.

Lesson 3 • Secondary Bonding and Assembly

Explains adhesive selection, surface preparation, and joint design for bonding composite subcomponents. Strong secondary bonds require controlled surface chemistry and fit-up.

Lesson 4 • Structural Repair Principles

Covers damage assessment, repair design, and load path restoration for structural composite repairs. Repair design must restore original strength and stiffness without adding excessive weight.