High-rate production line rolls out reinforced thermoplastic sandwich panels for trailers
By Staff | February 01, 2006
U.S. Liner Co. (Cranberry Township, Pa.) is using a patented, in-house manufacturing process developed by the company to produce its new glass/thermoplastic panel called Versitex Reefer, which is targeted to refrigerated truck trailers. Versitex joins the company's existing Bulitex panel product used to create impact and damage-resistant walls of over-the-road freight hauling trailers.
The proprietary automated process mates continuous fiberglass rovings with polypropylene resin, rapidly laying down the fibers to form a bidirectional reinforcement (the fibers are not woven), according to company president Michael LaRocco.
Finished panels are then created in a laminating step in 0.065 inch/1.65 mm to 0.085 inch/2.2 mm thicknesses. The thin panels are designed to be adhesively bonded to foam insulation to form insulating sandwich panels for refrigerated transport trailers.
LaRocco says the process creates panels at a rate of "feet per minute, not inches per minute" at an approximate cost of $0.07/lb. Current plant capacity is 6 million lb/2,722 metric tonnes (glass and resin weight combined) and the company plans to more than double capacity by the end of 2006. LaRocco says that because of the economical panel laminating process, the Versitex product is cost-competitive with existing fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) panel products on the market, and has higher strength properties to boot.
"We think this is a huge step that can move beyond truck trailers to recreational vehicles and construction and building products," says LaRocco.
