JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #57 - May 2010 - 43

About Regina Glass Fibre
Regina Glass Fibre Pty Ltd. has been manufacturing lightweight surface tissues in Ballarat, Victoria, Australia since 1963. An independently owned and operated Australian business, Regina is a small company with annual turnover typically around €1 million, exporting about half of its production. Traditional products provide corrosion resistance and surface improvement (print blocking) to composites, as well as thermal and sound insulation and decorative finishes. With increasing competition on world markets, the company has sought to expand its product range. It has added value to its products through coatings and by impregnating glass veils with beneficial chemicals which enhance the properties of composite laminates. In addition to FireShield®, Regina is working on Nanoveil®, a product which impregnates tissue with nano zinc oxide and HALS to deliver improved weathering and UV blocking to composites exposed to weathering. Composite samples incorporating this product are being tested in the long-term testing facility in Allunga, Queensland. Results are due shortly. Regina is a member of Composites Australia and an Associate Member of CRC-ACS

winding. These product developments are based on research and testing carried out by CRC-ACS on Regina’s behalf. Upgrading the carrier impregnation process from the original laboratory scale to a full-scale manufacturing process involved overcoming engineering, material handling and OH&S problems. An investment of about €0.5 million was required to acquire special equipment to supplement the existing factory equipment. FireShield® is now being field-tested by partners using a number of manufacturing processes. In particular, Ampelite is using FireShield® in its unique manufacturing process. The certification of finished products to the relevant fire standards is underway.

Market potential
stringent flame, smoke and toxicity standards without compromising the pultrusion process or the strength and stiffness of the I-beam. Aerospace international standards for flame (FAR25.853(a)), smoke and toxic gas emissions (ABD0031;ASTM-E662) were met. Since 2005, Regina has been expanding the scope of the FireShield® technology both from the original epoxy resin – so that it is compatible with polyester and vinylester resins – and from the original pultrusion manufacturing process – so that it is compatible with other manufacturing processes including wet lay-up, resin transfer moulding, vacuum infusion and filament With the growing emphasis on the flame, smoke and toxicity performance of structural composite materials, particularly in mass transit and building applications, the market potential is seen to be substantial. This potential is further enhanced by the continued replacement of traditional materials by composites in most areas.

Key benefits
Manufacturers do not need to modify their processes or train staff to be able to produce composite structures meeting international flame, smoke and toxic gas emission standards. They can use their normal manufacturing processes and resins. This enables companies of all sizes to participate in the fire protection field without further capital investment. In most cases, laminate cost is lower than with alternative ways of achieving the same degree of fire protection. More information: www.reginaglass.com.au www.crc-acs.com.au www.ampelite.com.au

Fig. 4.: Original I-beam with FireShield beneath all surfaces. The Ibeam is 80 mm wide, 100 mm high (front is angled back giving illusion of height)

No57 May 2010 / jec composites magazine

http://www.reginaglass.com.au http://www.crc-acs.com.au http://www.ampelite.com.au

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #57 - May 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #57 - May 2010