The pultrusion process is a highly effective manufacturing method for producing various composite pieces, such as fiberglass, with enhanced strength and durability. Although there are other manufacturing processes, the benefit of pultrusion is that it enables the efficient, consistent, continuous production of fiber-reinforced polymer structural shapes with a constant cross-section. In this blog post, we will explore the pultrusion process, its advantages over other methods, and examples of pultruded fiberglass products.

What is Pultrusion?

Pultrusion is a continuous process of transforming fiber reinforcements and resins into finished structural composite parts. During the pultrusion procession, a mechanical pulling system is used to pull the raw materials through a heated steel forming die. This method is different from extrusion, where materials are pushed, not pulled, through a die. The raw materials mentioned include liquid resin mixtures, fillers, specialized additives, and reinforcing fibers. It is worth mentioning that fiberglass is one of the most common materials used in pultrusion, and any reinforcing materials are saturated with resin before being pulled through the heated die.

Advantages of the Pultrusion Process

There are many reasons why the pultrusion process is frequently used over other methods to produce fiberglass parts. Namely, it results in parts with enhanced strength, durability, and other properties that are crucial in construction and its other applications. Here are some of the advantages:

High Tensile Strength

When manufacturing fiberglass parts, pultrusion uses reinforcement materials such as glass fibers with high tensile strength. As a result, components are stronger and more durable than those made with traditional materials such as aluminum or wood.

High Volume of Fiber

Composites produced through pultrusion typically have a high fiber volume, significantly contributing to their overall strength.

Lightweight

Pultruded fiberglass profiles can be up to 30% lighter than aluminum and 80% lighter than steel but maintain superior strength. This makes them ideal for applications where weight reduction is vital.

Strategic Placement of Materials

The pultrusion process allows continuous-strand glass fibers to be placed strategically, which helps optimize the strength and durability of the final product. Overall, the pultrusion process offers many advantages to final fiberglass products. It is cost-effective, and the resulting components are durable and strong, among other beneficial properties.

Examples of Pultruded Fiberglass Products

Pultrusion is a widely used production method utilized in industries worldwide. Its ability to enhance many properties of fiberglass parts is invaluable to its many applications. This section provides an overview of how pultruded fiberglass is used.

Structural Components

Pultruded fiberglass is commonly used for structural components in the construction industry. Typical applications include beams, columns, and platforms, providing outstanding corrosion resistance and strength-to-weight ratio.

Reinforcement Profiles

Pultruded fiberglass profiles are often used as reinforcement in concrete structures, providing increased strength, durability, and resistance to environmental factors.

Electrical Insulation

Because pultruded fiberglass components are non-conductive, they are ideal for electrical insulation applications. They are used in cable trays, insulators, and support structures for power transmission and distribution.

Marine Applications

Pultruded fiberglass is highly suitable for marine applications due to its corrosion resistance and durability. It is used in boat hulls, decks, and other structural components. With its numerous advantages, pultrusion is a reliable and cost-effective technique for producing high-quality, reinforced plastics with exceptional strength and durability.

Pultruded Fiberglass From Strongwell

Strongwell has been manufacturing high-quality fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) products since 1956, and is recognized as the world’s leading pultruder of FRP. We use the pultrusion manufacturing process because it produces durable, corrosion-resistant components that can withstand harsh environments without longevity concerns. Contact Strongwell today for more information on how pultrusion enhances fiberglass products.