COMPOSITES

MANUAL POLYESTER LAMINATION FOR THE USAGE OF AQUACULTURE AND BOATBUILDING PARTS

A composite material is the result of combining two or more materials to obtain a unique combination of properties. There are many types of compound materials, depending on their original or the shape in which they are reinforced. Those which are reinforced with fibres are the most important from a technological point of view. The most prominent in this group is reinforced polyester with glass fibre.

The main advantage of working with composites is the reduction of costs which means the possibility to serialise the manufacture of parts from moulds. This characteristic had a great impact in the shipbuilding field where these materials were established in the manufacture of small vessels. Also, in aquaculture, a field in which Aixola has been collaborating with the Consellería do Mar in the design and construction of specific furniture for centres such as Ribadeo or the Instituto Gallego de Formación en Acuicultura (IGAFA). Nowadays, it is important to note that the polyester handling requires workforce in the most several areas of the industrial structure (automotive, wind power). Therefore, it is a training with a wide range of job opportunities even outside the maritime fishing sector.

The lack of specific training centres in this speciality makes Aixola a reference centre for the training of all these professionals and a focal point in R&D for companies and organisations which work in this sector. Aixola is the only training centre in the whole state that provides training in the Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) technique. This innovative technique allows reducing gas emissions in the manufacture of parts, through a system of vacuum moulding and counter-moulding. The resulting parts are finished on both surfaces being a final breakthrough for some work types.