Hand Lay Up Moulding

MATERIALS USED

Matrix Epoxy, polyester, polyvinyl ester, phenolic resin, unsaturated polyester, polyurethane resin Reinforcement Glass fiber, carbon fiber, aramid fiber, natural plant fibers (sisal, banana, nettle, hemp, flax etc.) (all these fibers are in the form of unidirectional mat , bidirectional (woven) mat, stitched into a fabric form, mat of randomly oriented fibers)

HAND LAY-UP METHOD

Open mold shaping method in which successive layers of resin and reinforcement are manually applied to an open mold to build the laminated FRP composite structure

Labor � intensive
Finished molding must usually be trimmed with a power saw to size outside edges
Oldest open mold method for FRP laminates , dating to the 1940 when it was first used for boat hulls

HAND LAY-UP

Hand lay - up, or contact molding, is the oldest and simplest way of making fiberglass-resin composites, Applications are standard wind turbine blades, boats, etc.

BENEFITS

Flexibility in reinforcing materials
Can produce a very strong part
Improved thickness variations over other low volume processes

LIMITATIONS

Can produce a very strong part
Improved thickness variations over other low volume processes