Specialist
Equipment for Glass Fibre Reinforced Concrete (GRC)
Hand
Spray:
Hand
Spray is the most versatile and popular production technique
and the one normally chosen by new start-ups. A special spray
gun is used to simultaneously deposit chopped glass fibre
and cementitious slurry onto a mould. This is then compacted
by hand using a spring roller. A second layer is then sprayed
and again compacted. Using the spray technique allows high
glass percentages to be used and this gives the highest mechanical
properties.
Auto
Spray The hand spray process can be automated or semi-automated.
More common are semi-automatic processes where the spray gun
is mounted on a reciprocating traverse with the moulds passing
underneath on a conveyor. Compaction can be by hand or via
a dewatering system. These systems are ideal for the production
of flat products and they can also be very versatile when
used with folding moulds.rties. In turn this allows for reduced
skin thickness and lighter products.
Sprayed
Premix:
This
is a combination method where the premixed material is sprayed
onto the mould. It combines the advantages of both methods
and is becoming the method of choice for many small architectural
items.
Cast
Premix:
As
the name suggests the glass fibre is mixed into the cementitious
slurry and the resulting material is poured or pumped into
moulds and compacted using vibration or by using special additives
in the mix.
The premix process can be easily automated and is often chosen
for standard product manufacture. The moulds used are more
complex than those for the spray process. The mechanical properties
are lower but they are consistent allowing optimum design.
Dual
and
Multi Purpose Packages are
ideal for new start-ups: