General FAQ
You’re based in Australia, but do you export your carbon fibre, Kevlar and fibreglass supplies overseas?
Yes, Ironbark Composites has clients across Australia and internationally. We regularly send fibreglass cloth, carbon fibre cloth and aramid (Kevlar) fabric to clients in New Zealand, Singapore, China and India. There are plenty of inferior products around and quality fibreglass supplies can be hard to find.
Contact us and we’ll happily arrange to send our products to destinations in Australia and overseas.
I’ve heard about vacuum bagging when working with composites. What is vacuum bagging and why should I use it?
Basically there are two methods of laminating when working with fibreglass, carbon fibre and Kevlar – hand laminating and vacuum bagging.
Hand laminating is the process of applying resins to the fabric and working it by hand. While quite sufficient for some projects, hand-laminating is not suitable for others because it allows too much variation in cloth-to-resin ratios and compromises strength and finish.
Vacuum bagging involves laying up the fabric and epoxy and then sealing it within a plastic film or bag and using a vacuum to extract the air within the plastic. The uniform pressure created by the vacuum distributes the epoxy evenly throughout the fabric, ensuring an even finish and high strength with minimum weight. Vacuum bagging is ideal when creating high-end products such as boats, car parts and even surfboards but is not necessary for all projects.
If you’d like to know more, get in touch with our vacuum bagging experts and we’ll run you through the vacuum bagging process and we can also provide vacuum bagging pumps and other equipment.
What is the best epoxy resin to use?
That answer depends to a degree on the project you’re working on and the fabric you’re using. A fibreglass resin might not be the best option for carbon fibre cloth, and vice versa. Ironbark Composites provides a range of laminating resins, infusion resins, gelcoats and foaming epoxy.
Get in touch, explain your project and we’ll advise you on the best resin for the job.
What is the difference between aramid and Kevlar?
There’s not really any difference except that Kevlar is a type of aramid. Aramid is a material and Kevlar is one of the brands within that range or materials. So when you’re buying Kevlar fabric, you’re actually buying a brand of aramid. We provide a range of aramid materials, including Kevlar, Twaron and Technora.
Can you help me out with tapes and braids?
Short answer – yes! Long answer – yes, we have an expansive range of tapes and braids, including fibreglass tape, carbon tow, carbon braids, Kevlar braid (aramid) and flat braid, rovings, unidirectional tapes. Whatever your project, we have it covered.
