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

USERS’ PLATFORM Application g…/… Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pool: leader in Florida spray equipment to ensure proper curing and consistency. Every pool part is carefully gauged at every stage by the operator and supervisor to ensure proper thickness. Each part is recorded with thirty other process-specific notations. The next step is the Ultra Ester 100% vinyl ester resin barrier coat to guard against osmotic blistering and chemical intrusion into the structural laminate. resistance, ultimate blister protection, and the right amount of stiffness without losing any flexibility. Add Extreme Quartz, the extreme ISO-NPG gel-coat finishes, and you have the leading technology in the manufacture of glass fibre swimming pools and pool finishes. The composite pool construction method is ambiguously complex in its simplicity. The basic considerations involve being able to transport several pools stacked together and account for a multitude of ever-changing soil and environment conditions. In short, the company needs them to be tough enough to get where they are going, but flexible enough to be installed properly and accommodate for soil and temperature changes. More information Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pools staff includes people with over 30 years experience in all types of swimming pools. The company leads the industry in being the first and currently the only one to offer an “in-house” ACMAcertified composite technician employee training programme administered by its own CCT manager/instructor. This programme goal is to enhance the overall professionalism and knowledge of individuals in composite manufacturing. Certification is required of all Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pools supervisors/managers and offered to all other qualified employees to help ensure quality products. allows the flexibility for soil and temperature changes. The steps and swim-out areas are built the same way with another layer of 2415 added for strength. The coping and the top 30 cm of the pool are then laid up with three layers of 2415 combo mat, which gives the rigidity for handling and levelling when being installed. All the moulds are manufactured in-house from composites. Each mould can be used to produce 200 to 300 swimming pools. Contact: bproduc2@tampabay.rr.com More information: www.bluehawaiianfiberglasspools.com A wide range of designs. A perfect finish. The process starts with the application of the Extreme Quartz ISO-NPG gel-coat on the prepared mould. The initiator level is closely monitored for ideal cure to produce maximum hardness. Everyday, the gun mechanic calibrates and sets the spray pattern and pressures on all of the The third layer is continuous strand roving glass fibre reinforcement applied with AOC H864 resin to a thickness of greater than 3 mm. The main body of the pool (layers 4, 5, 6, 7) is hand laid with 40 g chopped strand mat (CSM), 680 g woven roving, and then another 40 g CSM, before ending with 680 g woven roving. Extra layers are placed where holes will be cut for plumbing. The AOC H834 resin is applied with a pressure roller. The laminates are then smoothed and wetted with a squeegee before they are compacted and any air voids are removed with a FRP roller. Overlaps are staggered at 100-150 mm. This laminate AN INTERVIEW WITH ROGER ERDELAC, PRESIDENT, BLUE HAWAIIAN PRODUCTS, INC. affected by this downturn. The first quarter of 2009 is not going to end any better. But when consumer confidence improves and banks begin to loan again, the light will reappear at the end of the tunnel. JCM: Do you have plans to make any new investments, particularly in equipment? R. E.: We have invested in our overall operation over the past five years. We are planning to expand our market with the addition of a new operational plant once the economy starts showing some overall improvement. JCM: What is the next challenge for Blue Hawaiian Fiberglass Pool? R. E.: Our big challenge is to survive the economic downturn. We have done what was needed in our overall operation and find ourselves in a good cash position to survive. We are now aggressively marketing our products in new ways with the goal to broaden our overall market share. JEC Composites Magazine: What is your vision of the FRP pool market today? ROGER ERDELAC: Florida has been one of the hardest-hit states in the swimming pool industry, with sales down by over 70% in 2008. Like other FRP pool manufacturers, we have also been 50 jec composites magazine / No50 July-August 2009

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

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