An overview of the technology of fibre-reinforced plastics for design purposes

Fibre-reinforced plastic materials or composites are recognised as possessing superior specific properties when compared to conventional engineering materials. However, the widespread use of these materials is still limited, with engineering designers choosing to stick with what they know best. This unfortunately tends to stifle innovation and leads to sub-optimal solutions. This article provides a simplified introduction to the technology of fibre-reinforced thermosetting plastics from the perspective of the information requirements of engineering designers. The use of detailed descriptions has been kept to a minimum and a concentration on the most regularly used material types, properties and manufacturing processes. The aim of this article is to help engineering designers, who are not familiar with this technology, obtain a reasonable understanding and sufficient knowledge to pursue relevant topics further. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.