Spray
Gelcoat
Machine sprayed up gelcoat gives you a much better quality gelcoat finishing
and increases your productivity.
Use GS Soft Spray Pattern Gelcoating machines for better quality, ease of
use and lesser emissions.
Spray
Chopped Glass
Machine sprayed chopped glass and resin increases your productivity many
times over traditional handlay-up method. It also increases product consistency.
Use GS machines for better quality and lesser emissions.
Resin Transfer Molding (RTM)
To make parts with good overall surface finish quality and consistently accurate dimensions, use the closed mold RTM process.
Spray
Catalyzed Resin (Wet Out)
To increase your speed of glass mat wet-out process, use GS machine to spray accurately metered catalyzed resin. Increased productivity and consistent resin to MEKP. No emissions.
Resin
Roller Dispenser
Use roller dispensing machine to wet out large surfaces with consistent resin to MEKP ratio. Increased productivity and product consistency.
Resin
Dispensing System
To dispense accurately metered resin and MEKP for your hand-lay up process,
use GS Quickshot Resin Dispensing Unit. Ratio is adjustable. Machine is very
low cost. Your ultimate shop floor management tool.
No more scoops, no more leftovers! Just turn on the tap and let it flow.
Resin
and MEKP are metered and sprayed through individual orifices. The two fan
spray patterns are angled to intercept each other and achieve a good mix.
A certain amount of atomization is required to achieve a thorough mix. Emissions
are known to be higher than internal mix systems but external mix systems
has is advantages in that no solvent flushing is required as there is no internal
mixing chamber. The system also operates at an overall lower fluid pressure.
External mix systems are still being widely used for spraying gelcoat as
gelcoating may still require a certain amount of atomization in order to obtain
a good surface finish unlike spraying of resin which is primarily used for
wetting out a glass mat.
Resin
and MEKP are metered and dispensed into an internal mixing chamber in the
spray gun. They are mixed in the chamber containing a static mixer and sprayed
out through a nozzle. Due to its closed chamber design, internally mixed systems
operates at an overall higher fluid pressure than an externally mixed system.
Internal mixed spray systems are known to achieve lower emissions as atomization
is much lower. Afterall, it does not require atomization to achieve a mix
as in externally mixed systems. It is highly recommended for spraying catalyzed
resin to wet out glass mat as well as spraying with chopped glass.
Open
mold process is the most common process in hand lay up or spray chopped glass
using a spray machine.
A mold release is first applied, followed by a layer of sprayed or brushed
gelcoat. After the gelcoat is dry, a layer of glass veil is laid and wetted
with catalyzed resin. More layers of glass mats are added and wetted until
the required thickness is achieved.
For a much faster and more productive method, chopped glass and catalyzed
resin are sprayed directly on the mold.
The mold can be made of either tooling grade FRP, epoxy or even metal. The
tooling is easy to make. Only the side taken form the mold has a good finish.
The other side is usually not important.
In open mold process, overall dimensions are not as good as closed mold process
but the tooling is less expensive, easier to make and the process is relatively
much faster.
Where
overall dimensions with good surface finish on both sides are important, a
closed mold process is required.
This process usually requires catalyzed resin to be injected into a closed
mold. Prior to injection, mold release, gelcoat and a suitable glass mat are
applied inside the mold. This process is called RTM – Resin Transfer
Molding.
To achieve better resin flow and parts with lesser air bubbles, a vacuum is
sometimes applied. Resin is also often heated to lower its viscosity for better
flow. Proper air venting is particularly important.
Heat is also often used to preheat the mold. Heat source can be either heated
water through copper tubings or directly inserting electrical heating rods
into the molds.
Dimensional stability or shrinkage of the part can be minimized through proper
mold designs, better heat controls and the right type of raw material used.
Obviously, a well made closed mold would cost more than an open mold. And
a well made mold is one which has mold designs, heat and raw materials in
mind.
It is important to note that in closed mold process, other than a good tooling,
a low viscosity resin coupled with a suitable type of glass are paramount
in getting a good end product.
HAND LAY UP - DISADVANTAGES :
1. Part quality cannot be consistent and they are measured, weighed and mixed
manually.
2. Low efficiency. Hand lay up is comparatively much slower.
3. Much material is wasted in leftovers in the mixing pails and spillage.
4. Unable to achieve top quality gelcoat finish with brush on or pressure
pot spray.
5. Labour intensive.
MACHINE SPRAY UP - ADVANTAGES
1. Quality of part is consistent. Material ratio is metered by machine.
2. Higher efficiency. Machine spray is very fast.
3. Less material wastage. Mixing in the gun.
4. Top quality gelcoat finish can only be achieved with machine.
5. Less labour required.
GS
internally mixed spray gun can adapt several types of spray tips to spray
catalyzed resin with chopped glass viz. conventional eyelet tip, Superflow
tip and the Z-Tip.
Conventional
eyelet type spray tips require higher pressures to achieve a fan pattern,
corresponding to higher emissions. GS’s developed Superflow tip and
Z-Tip achieves a fan pattern at much lower pressures and hence significantly
lower emmissions. The Superflow tip sprays catalyzed resin in numerous individual
fine streams, very little or no atomization. The Z-Tip is a specially designed
tip to force fluid to fan out at lower pressures and due to its larger orifice,
it can be used to spray filled resins.
GS
uses proprietary designed air motor for its chopper unit. It is lightweight
and highly efficient. The output of chopped glass can be varied by adjusting
the amount of air going into the air motor. The length of the chopped glass
can also be varied by adjusting the spacing between each blade. GS’s
specially designed chute also disperses chopped glass very well. Its angle
of dispersion can be adjusted through a swivel mount.
The gun is specially designed with the operator in mind. It is lightweight
to reduce fatigue coupled with logical and easy controls.
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Only GS gelcoat spray gun have a special soft spray pattern, reducing bounce back and emissions. |
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Only GS has patented Z-Tip for lower VOC emission and for spraying filled resin. |
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Logical and easy to use catalyst flow system |
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Only GS precision high grade stainless steel catalyst pump have a special self-centering system and is made shorter and broader for greater rigidity. |
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Only GS machines offer 3 stage filtration system. |
Only
GS gelcoat spray gun have a special soft spray pattern, reducing bounce back
and emissions.
Logical and easy to use MEKP flow system
Only GS precision high grade stainless steel MEKP pump have a special self-centering system and is made shorter and broader for greater rigidity.
Self-centering design
GS
MEKP PUMP
- Shorter strokes
- Fatter piston rod. No flexing, no breakage.
- Easy on the seals.
- Easy to hand prime
OTHER
MAKES
- Longer strokes
- Long and slender piston rod. Flexing, breakage.
- Premature wear on seals
- Stiff and difficult to hand prime.