FORMAX CONSTRUCTIONS
UNIDIRECTIONALS (0º) and (90º)
Applications
- Where there is a clear requirement for strength and/or stiffness in a specific orientation of the laminate.
Important features:
- Stitched unidirectionals offer good resin permeability and drape characteristics.
- Hot-melt woven unidirectionals are easy to handle and cut.
- Laid-scrim unidirectionals optimise the mechanical performance of the fibres.
BIAXIAL (0º/90º)
Applications
- Used in similar applications to woven rovings, offering improved laminate performance - increased tensile and flexural strength, less weight and improved surface finish (less print-through).
Important features
- The straight, uncrimped fibres optimise the performance of the laminate.
- Improved resistance to fatigue and impact.
- Quicker and easier to wet-out than wovens.
- The fabrics remain intact even when cut.
- Unbalanced or biased 0º/90º fabrics are available when there is a requirement for more fibre in one of the directions of the fabric.
BIAXIAL (+45º/-45º)
Applications
- When torsional strength and/or shear resistance is required, or when fabrics need to have good conformability.
Important features:
- Available as high drape (HD) for difficult shapes.
- Available as stabilized (ST) for stability.
- Adds torsional strength and stiffness to tubular and rectangular structures.
- Increases shear strength over frames in boat hulls.
- Ideal for secondary bonding as the load is shared by both axis.
- Excellent fibre coverage minimizes print-through.
TRIAXIALS (0º/-45º/+45º) and (-45º/90/º+45)
Applications
- To increase torsional rigidity in combination with longitudinal (0،/±45،) or transverse (-45،/90،/+45،) strength.
Important features:
- Used for long & tubular structures such as rotor-blades or girders.
- Heavyweight fabrics reduce the amount of layers needed.
- Ratio of 0، (or 90،) to ±45، is variable 50:50 is typical.
QUADAXIALS (0º/-45º/90º/+45º)
Applications
- Quadaxials are quasi-isotropic offering strength in all 4 directions.
Important features:
- The optimum composite reinforcement for designing strength in all directions.
- Excellent for spread-pressure applications such as boat hulls or pressure vessels.
- For putting down as much reinforcement as possible in one layer up to 2.4 Kg/m2.
- Ideal in blast and ballistic protection applications.
- Straight fibres in 4 directions allow resin to flow unhindered in 8 directions.
COMBINATION FABRICS
Combinations are fabrics with an added layer of Chopped Strand Mat (CSM), Continuous Filament (CFM), or other substrates such as polyester or glass surface veils.
Important features:
- Improved interlaminar bonding, especially when using orthothalic polyester resins.
- The ability to combine layers of fabric and CSM can provide significant labour savings.
- Improved surface finish (the primary purpose of polyester or glass surface veils).
- CFM acts as flow medium for resin during infusion.
- Adds bulk and therefore rigidity to part.
