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Specialty Prepregs | Thermal Protection Systems > FlexFram

Specialty Prepregs

Fiber Materials, Inc. produces resin coated tape, up to 31/2"-wide, using a  vertical prepregger.  The process steps consist of delivery, collimation (if required), metered resin application, dual-zone heating and/or cooling (vertical towers) and take-up.  Precision tensioning devices are employed to maintain tape width and control catenary in collimated tapes.

The resin coated reinforcement travels through two pairs of 30-foot tubes.  The temperature of each pair can be controlled independently, thereby providing two-zone heating.  If desired, zone 2 can be used for cooling.  While the resin is in the heating zones, it is chemically advanced (B-staged).  The B-staged resin now has controlled flow, volatiles and resin content.

Chopped molding compound in lengths from .025" to 2.5" can also be provided.

This treater is ideally suited for experimental development, pilot plant quantities and production runs.  FMI^® will be pleased to discuss the use of any reinforcement, textile form or resin system.

Prepreg characteristics such as resin content and volatiles can be closely controlled.  Resin systems can be recommended by FMI, or customer supplied proprietary resins can be used.