JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011 - 10

carbon prepreg

Guangwei Composites, from a finished product to a semi-finished one
materials, and specifically carbonfibre fishing rod components. In recent years, its focus has shifted towards the development, manufacture and processing of prepreg materials. In 1998, Guangwei Composites commissioned its first internal prepreg manufacturing capability. unlimited range of structures. The newly introduced fire-retardant prepregs now provides a costeffective, technically advanced solution for high-performance composite structures within public transportation systems such as highspeed train carriages and commercial aircraft interiors.
A new holding is under construction

ounded in 1971, Weihai Guangwei Composites Co., Ltd. – formerly “Plain Fishing Rod Factory of Carbon” – is the main subsidiary of Weihai Guangwei Group Co., Ltd. Located in the city of Wei Hai on China’s Shandong Peninsula, the company has been successfully producing composite

jec composites magazine / No62 January - February 2011

JEC Composites Magazine: How do you explain the phenomenal growth experienced by Guangwei Composites over the past 20 years? DUAN CHANGBING: GW Composites has enjoyed rapid growth in the domestic

Like salmon, Weihai Guangwei Composites swims against the current. The company is undoubtedly the world’s leading fishing-rod manufacturer, but has also made a name for itself in China and abroad as a major producer of high-quality carbon prepregs.

Products and markets
Currently, the company’s main products are epoxy-resin/carbon-fibre prepreg, glass-fabric prepreg (including E-glass fibre and S-glass fibre), basalt-fibre prepreg, various carbon-fibre composite products, fishing rods, paints, resins, fishing clothes and fishing accessories. Its prepregs are perfectly suited to a diverse range of applications and markets. From ultra-low-weight unidirectional carbon prepregs for sporting goods to heavy-weight multiaxial prepregs used by European wind-turbine blade manufacturers, its range includes impregnated products for the construction of an almost

A radical change

Over time, Weihai Guangwei Composites Co., Ltd. underwent a radical conversion from fishing-rod manufacturer to the leading manufacturer of prepreg composite materials in China. The

interview
DUAN CHANGBING, HEAD OF OPERATIONS, GUANGWEI COMPOSITES

composite market in line with the fast expansion of the Chinese economy. In the early days, when it manufactured sports clothing, the group quickly established business units to control the supply chain, upstream and downstream. Then, GW entered the emerging Asian market for OEM fishing rods and started manufacturing rods with some of the first carbon-fibre prepreg used in China. GW developed and installed prepreg manufacturing and matrixformulation capabilities for internal supply and consumption. As an early adopter of prepreg technology in China, the group was

JCM: What is your opinion about the composite market and the Chinese market in particular? D. C.: The Chinese composite market is strong and delivers higher margins than people are used to seeing in Europe and America. New railway and aerospace industry investments, which are encouraged

well placed to sell excess capacity when there were few other domestic prepreg options. This way, GW Composites built a strong, well-established brand in China and now plans to expand worldwide.

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #62 - January/February 2011