JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009 - 47

Complete cycle time for a single blade is 24 hours. Each blade consists of two half-shells that are bonded together with epoxy adhesive. The half-shells are laid up with glass fabrics and core materials, and then infused with epoxy resin. The use of epoxy requires an additional postcuring step 5-7 hours long, once the halfshells have been assembled. itself as both an innovator of proprietary products and a respected partner with leading manufacturers around the world. Pioneers in composites Headquartered in Ashtabula, Ohio, Molded Fiber Glass Companies was founded by Robert Morrison in 1948 and continues today as a family-owned and managed company. Robert Morrison and a handful of dedicated men and women collaborated in 1948 to mass-produce the first commercial products using polyester resins and glass-fibre reinforcements. In 1953, MFG was chosen to produce all FRP body parts for the new Chevrolet Corvette. This success was a watershed event that led to a sequence of other "firsts", including FRP boats, high-volume truck and tractor components, bakery trays, concrete forms and satellite dishes. An additional post-curing step is required. trucks, automobiles, safety helmets, residential bathroom stalls, interior and exterior mass transit bus and train components, and wind-turbine blades; - proprietary product businesses that produce and sell finished products directly in the market. MFG is a leading supplier to a variety of industries, including material handling trays, containers, and flats; various FRP products used in the water and wastewater treatment industry; radomes and reflectors for defence and scientific antenna applications; and beams and columns for building construction. All of the company’s entities share a common integrated management, finance and marketing team, as well as two significant assets that are unique to the industry: MFG Research and the MFG Design Centre. A well-organized structure The 16 MFG entities are organized around two business-model categories: - custom composite manufacturing businesses that function as dedicated manufacturing partners for specific industrial segments, such as heavy More information Comprehensive know-how Industries served: automotive, agriculture, bath stalls, defence/ballistics, heavy trucks, infrastructure & bridges, lighting, marine, material handling, rail transportation, radomes, reflectors, safety equipment, seating, solar energy, water treatment, wind energy, processes. Moulding processes: vacuum bag moulding, Resin Transfer Moulding – LITE , vacuum infusion moulding, open moulding (hand lay-up, spray-up), liquid composite moulding, compression moulding (SMC, BMC, liquid moulding), longfibre thermoplastic moulding (LFT), DCPD moulding. Other value-added processes: robotic gelcoating, in-mould coating (IMC), advanced preform process (APP), SMC/BMC compounding, bonding and assembly, composite tooling manufacture, robotic routing and water jetting prime and topcoat paint capabilities. Engineering capabilities: CAD systems, SolidWorks, FEA, Cosmos & Algor – CATIA v4 & v5, data management & conversions, class A surfacing & solid modelling, 2D drawing/detail creation, data conversions (IGS, STP, etc.), online design reviews, reverse engineering, design for Six Sigma, design optimization/business case studies, tooling studies, GD&T based on process capabilities, upfront engineering concept studies, design for manufacture and assembly, tolerance studies based on process capabilities, quality, form-fitfunction & check fixture requirements. Core technologies: materials formulation and analysis, materials compounding, structural composite design, design for manufacturability and assembly, directed fibre preforming, compression moulding, infusion moulding, open moulding, secondary operations, composite process automation, surface coating. The blades are produced using infusion process. From modest beginnings, the company has grown to an international presence in the field of composites manufacturing. Today, it employs 1,800 people and is a thriving enterprise that includes 16 entities throughout the United States and Mexico. MFG is involved in a gamut of exciting and growing industries, such as wind energy, automotive, heavy truck, material handling, water treatment, construction, and defence. True to the original vision of advancing both the art and science of composite manufacturing, MFG has established No50 July-August 2009 / jec composites magazine 47
JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #50 - July/August 2009
