Aiming to satisfy customers, continuously improve product quality and maintain a leading position in relation to the competition, AVI SRL executes its activity in the 2 locations it owns in Craiova using advanced technological processes, best quality materials and equipment and high-performance installations.
Technology and Materials
Composite materials
Composite materials have important advantages over traditional materials such as metal and wood and bring many functional advantages: low weight, mechanical and chemical resistance, low maintenance costs, freedom of form and design dynamics.
They allow to prolong the life of certain equipment due to the mechanical and chemical properties. These materials help increase safety due to better shock and fire resistance. It also offers better thermal and sound insulation and for some classes, better thermal insulation. They also increase the design possibilities, allowing the weight of the structures to be reduced in order to achieve complex shapes, able to fulfill several functions. In every field of its applications market – automobiles, construction, electricity, industrial equipment, these outstanding performances are at the origin of innovative technological solutions.
Resins
Polyester Resin – The basic ingredient of gelcoat is polyester resin, which provides the chemical composition that determines the physical and chemical properties of gelcoat.
Orthophthalic resin – is the general purpose resin where the superior resins (anhydrides or acids) resistant to water or chemicals are not of major importance. For many years it was one of the raw materials incorporated in polyester resins, it is still found in this composition, however, is often replaced by much more durable isophthalic resins.
Isophthalic resin – they are used in the manufacture of boats, bathtubs or showers. They have a greater existence in water, corrosion and chemicals with a greater degree of flexibility.
Gelcoat
Although gelcoat was not used in the early days of the GRP industry, the need for resin-rich surfaces to protect structured laminates made gelcoat a vital component due to the fact that gelcoat:
- improves component durability;
- protects laminated materials from the environment;
- reduces fiber marking;
- helps to achieve a smooth and aesthetic appearance;
- eliminates the need for painting.
In order to reduce the leakage of the gelcoat, its coloring and the improvement of the air elimination, the manufacturers use additives and resin to ensure the application of a rich surface layer with a sufficient thickness to ensure the desired appearance.
Of course, the manufacture of a product in halls, on the mold, led to a variation from batch to batch depending on the composition and color, this fact led the resin producers to introduce new gelcoats with the following advantages:
- correct dispersion of thixotropic agents, surfactants, pigments and accelerators;
- excellent air release characteristics;
- exact color matching;
- the need to add only one more component to the casting hall – the catalyst.
Recent development of gelcoat
Over time, the need to fix the gloss and color of the gelcoat, leading to the development of base resins with improved UV-resistant additives has led to the creation of gelcoats that have been tested in severe weather conditions without losing their luster or color. perceptible to the human eye.
Just as gelcoats with increased durability are required, there is also a demand for reducing styrene emissions from the gelcoat, as well as newer gelcoats with as low a styrene content as possible. These gelcoats are effective against blisters.
Gelcoat makes fiberglass-reinforced products attractive and practical.