Plastic fantastic – GRP and modern engineering solutions

What is GRP? The initials stand for Glass Reinforced Plastic

, which, if ever a reader was young enough to be a Scout, they'll remember from the inside of canoes. The stuff that was moulded into the canoe shape, with all the little flecks of glass fibre on its inside. That was Glass Reinforced Plastic, which, today, is used in more industrial applications than a person could care to count. It's pretty much the miracle fabric of the 21st century an all-purpose, multi application stuff that's light weight, extremely strong and excellently adaptable.

Organisations that have been involved with GRP since its' beginning (like the excellent Stuart Pease, whose UK based reinforced plastics moulding company has shepherded the substance through every manufacturing change in the last 50 years) have come to be in something of a high demand, as industries all over the world wake up to the fact that Glass Reinforced Plastic is capable of offering cost effective solutions for a bewildering variety of engineering problems. One of the major selling points of the substance is its ability to hold complex shapes with the same amount of strength that it shows in simple ones allowing engineers to design complicated structures for cost effective moulding in GRP, where previously they would have had to invest in some heavy duty and cumbersome manufacturing. Glass Reinforced Plastic has an extremely high breaking point, because of those flecks of glass fibre, which operate on the same principle as the steel struts captured inside reinforced concrete. The glass particles absorb twisting and shearing forces, which means the actual plastic stays intact.

Plastic, of course, is famously light and very easy to mould. When you combine those properties with the strength just mentioned, it becomes the engineer's dream substance pliable, willing and practically indestructible. Unlike metals, too, GRP will either naturally repel moisture and other degenerative agents, or can be impregnated with compounds that make it proof against them. That means, in addition to unheard of strength and superb lightness, Glass Reinforced Plastic will last in its original state for much longer than comparable metals and alloys. Stain proof, rust proof, weather proof and stress proof. It really is the stuff of the gods.

As a result, Glass Reinforced Plastic is now widely used in an astonishing variety of applications. High performance cars, for one, whose every gram is a factor in winning or losing races. GRP replaces as much metal as possible in the construction of race cars, often making a large percentage of the body area. Strength, speed and lightness combined make for a great photo finish. Also complicated shaped objects like roller coaster cars, sound baffles (which require very specific shapes in order to correctly alter the acoustics of a room) and water slides all massively different types of thing, found in wildly varying locations. But all with a common requirement: for superb strength combined with ease of moulding and controlled weight. GRP, the fantastic plastic that started life well over half a century ago, is still going strong as the best all round manufacturing material in the world.

Plastic fantastic GRP and modern engineering solutions

By: Amber Leisure Motorhome Hire

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