High-efficiency flow media, spacers for composites manufacturing

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Weinheim, Germany) is exhibiting a wide range of technical textile solutions for the composites industry. This includes surfacing veils for fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) components and Enka Solutions flow media and spacers for composites manufacturing. 

Freudenberg addresses the evolving requirements of manufacturers of FRP parts with high-performance nonwovens. To achieve this, the technical textiles supplier uses a variety of technologies such as wet-laid, dry-laid and spunbond processes, which enables a wide range of options for the choice of fibers, filaments and compositions.

Freudenberg offers a comprehensive portfolio of nonwovens, including glass, PAN and PET. These materials are specifically engineered for applications such as anti-corrosive coatings in piping and tank construction, UV-resistant façade panels and various other end products. Surface veils are a crucial component of FRP components, ensuring abrasion resistance, corrosion protection, smooth surfaces and enhanced mechanical strength; Freudenberg says its nonwoven solutions deliver high performance across all of these aspects.

The company points to its Enka Solutions products, designed for efficient resin infusion and foam injection molding processes. Their distinctive 3D entangled polymeric filament structures make them well suited as flow media and spacers in composites manufacturing processes.

Enka Solutions flow media for vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) and resin transfer molding (RTM) processes promote fast and reliable resin distribution, ensuring full wetout of the internal structure while keeping the glass fiber reinforcement nettings and components surface in place. An optimized bond, enhanced mechanical properties and reduced risk of wrinkling is achieved.

Enka Solutions spacer applied in reaction injection molding (RIM) processes using foam pushes the reinforcement matting and composite skin against the mold. This enables polymer foam to flow freely through the mold, filling the cavity completely and resulting in faster production processes that ensure reproducible high-quality finished products.

Meet Freudenberg experts at Booth P82.4 (Baden-Württemberg International booth) in Hall 6.