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UV curing is used commercially to cure gel coats and laminate layers of resin and fiberglass in
both open molding and filament winding applications. Typically when a fiberglass fabricator uses
a UV curing process productivity increases dramatically, resulting in a clear competitive
advantage. For this reason not much is shared publicly and there is the perception in the
marketplace that UV curing is not being used. Though I cannot divulge company names and specific processing details, I will share what the benefits are, factors to consider, chemistries being used, the UV curing equipment and configurations. There are many different types of fiberglass fabrication methods where UV curing is applied. However, the focus here is on open molding and filament winding. UV curing has been known and proven to work with fiberglass composites for many years. However, the relatively recent introduction of BAPO (bisacylphosphine oxide) photoinitiators, which are long wavelength photoinitiators (360-405nm), makes it possible to cure laminate sections up to % inch thick. Another driver is the increasingly stringent environmental regulations requiring reduced styrene emissions. Fabricators are searching for ways to reduce emissions and UV curing provides an option for them.
