Manufacturing Knowledge Base

Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) can no longer be considered as exotic materials suitable only for niche applications where performance demands justify very high prices, such as in aerospace or premium sporting goods markets. Today high performance FRP materials are starting to challenge the most ubiquitous of engineering materials, steel, in everyday applications as diverse as automobile bodies and civil infrastructure. It would be naive to suggest that FRP will displace steel from its dominant role. However, continuous advances in the manufacturing technologies and performance of FRP have intensified the competition in a growing range of applications leading to significant growth in market acceptance. Author: Robert Ian Mair, CRC for Advanced Composite Structures, Fishermans Bend, Victoria, Australia.