Attwater develops versatile new peel ply

The new development, created in Attwater’s in-house product laboratory, extends an existing product category of peel ply on epoxy glass to include phenolic-based laminates - a development that required a rethink of the types of materials used for the peel ply. The aim is to create a product with a top layer which can be easily peeled off to reveal a rough surface. This surface makes for better bonding than an as-pressed (usually glossy) surface, because the rough surface is easier to key to. The benefit of using a peel ply layer is that the ‘rough’ surface can be created just when customers need it, reducing the risk of surface contamination prior to applying the adhesive and removing the need for an additional machining process. As opposed to a machined rough surface, there is no dust produced, there is less wastage involved as there is no need to add more material and the process is more efficient. So not only is it more economical and technically advantageous, it is also better for the environment. Attwater has already seen increased demand for its range of peel ply epoxy glass laminates. These have gained much acceptance particularly with boat builders, who are so confident in the strong bond created they are now gluing some fixings in place rather than machining them in. Matt D'Arcy, Attwater's technical development engineer, said: “We have listened to our customer's needs and created this new laminate concept. We are very proud of our new innovation. Being able to also offer phenolic-based laminates with these benefits as well as for our epoxy glass range has strengthened our offering to customers. It has wide-ranging implications across a number of industries, and will make the engineering process cleaner and more efficient for companies that are currently buying material that has been prepared using traditional methods.” www.attwater.com