Fibreglass Taping

Unless your design has been specified to have the core rebated at panel joints, epoxy / fibreglass tapes are applied on the inside and outside where DuFLEX Composite Panels meet.

Prior to taping, it is important to prep the surface well.  Make sure the surfaces are free from contamination and have been sanded well, to key the surface for good adhesion.

Use WEST SYSTEM resin / hardener with 403 Microfibre Blend to create a neat cove in the join prior to applying your taping.   Ideally the coving and taping should be done wet-on-wet to save work and time, and to give a nice, neat finish. A 20mm radius is generally sufficient.

Unroll the reinforcement and pre-fit it over the joint, cut it so that several excess inches extend beyond the taping surface.  After pre-fitting, roll up each segment of reinforcement neatly and set it aside while you cove the joint.  Roll a neat coat of resin / hardener onto the surface to be taped.

Unroll your tape and position it carefully over the wet epoxy and cove, and in most cases the surface tension will hold it in place.  If the area is too vertical, you may want to wait until the epoxy becomes tacky.  Work out any wrinkles by lifting the edge of the tape and smoothing from the centre with your gloved hand or a squeegee.

Apply a second coat of epoxy resin / hardener with a foam roller to thoroughly wet-out the fabric.

Squeegee away any excess epoxy before the first batch begins to gel.  Drag the squeegee over the fabric, using even-pressured, overlapping strokes.  The object is to remove excess epoxy that could cause the fabric to float off the surface, while avoiding the creation of dry spots caused by squeegeeing too hard.

Finally, run a brush down the centre of the cove to make sure you have good adhesion.

Repeat steps 2 thru 5 until you have applied the correct number of tapes to the joint.

If tapes cannot be applied wet-on-wet, it is wise to apply a layer of peel-ply tape to the last layer, to avoid having to prep and sand the surface prior to applying the next layer of tape the following day.

• KINETIX®  R246TX high performance epoxy is specified for laminating the fibreglass tapes in DuFLEX Composite Kit construction. This system is specifically designed for room-temperature fibreglass lamination and provides extended working time and excellent mechanical properties in the cured laminate.

FRP Bonding Angles

FRP Bonding Angles have been designed to provide a quick and effective means for making right angle joints between DuFLEX panels.  Bonding Angles are fast and easy to install with a high density adhesive and are ideal for hard to access areas, and overhead work, where fibreglass taping can be difficult.

Equipment

ATL Composites has developed the Wombat Junior Fibreglass Taping Machine to reduce the time required to wet out tapes and to minimise the handling of liquid resins.  Junior is easily operated and gives the laminator greater control of the resin-to-fibre ratio.  Rolled up, wetted tapes are easily carried to the job and rolled into place.