Protectolite Inc. (TM)

Processes

SMC – Sheet Moulding Compound

Combines ability to control resin input with fibers with high integrity and greater length.
Excellent for large components requiring highly refined surface finish, design complexity and mechanical properties.

BMC – Bulk Moulding Compound

Clay-like substance is a mixture of resins, short glass fibers and end product, customized components such as flame retardants and low shrink resins.
Excellent for high volume applications requiring strong overall mechanical properties, good finish, dimensional stability and part complexity.

Wet Mat/Preform

A mat made of a combination of continuous glass fiber and random strands plus a binder, for shape rigidity.
Excellent for products requiring medium to large parts with a high concentration of fibers and consistent cross sections.

Contact Moulding/ Hand – lay up

Suitable for low to medium volume products where assembly is not a key factor.
Advantages: Simple, low cost tooling, virtually no limitations to part size, short lead times to production.
Disadvantages: Lack of precise control on product dimensions , part to part variances in the manufacturing process. High Part Cost, low volume output, best for 10’s to 100’s of parts.

Vacuum Bag Moulding

Suitable for products requiring a large surface, like truck body side panels.
Advantages: The length of the product is practically limitless. Low cost tooling and accurate dimensional control.
Disadvantages: Low productivity due to the bag process.

Resin Transfer & Cold Press Moulding

Suitable for small, design developmental test runs, as well as medium volume production, best for 100’s to1,000 parts.
Advantages: Moulds are less expensive than compression molding and full heat is not required to mould. Can also provide good surface finish, parts are more accurate and repeatable in production than Hand Lay up. Medium Part Cost.
Disadvantages: Part costs are still relatively high, part to part variances still exist , relatively short tool life if made in composites.

Compression Matched Molding

Suitable for high strength, large complex parts requiring good surface finish in larger quantity volumes, best for 1,000’s to 10,000’s parts.
Advantages: Can create relatively large single-piece products at fairly high production rate. Colour and translucency can be incorporated into the finished product as well as ribs, metal inserts and other features. Precise tolerances, repeatedly produced in every single part. Low Part Cost.
Disadvantages: Higher tooling costs and longer lead time for tooling and thus to production roll out.

Pultrusion Moulding

Suitable for products requiring a constant cross sections such as: rods, structural shapes, beams, channels, pipes, tubes. High strength is due to the high concentration and parallel orientation of the fibers to the product being drawn through the pultrusion process.
Advantages: The length of the product is practically limitless. Precise tolerances, repeatedly produced from part to part. Low Part Cost.
Disadvantages: Higher tooling costs and longer lead time for tooling and thus to production roll out. Cannot incorporate metal insert.