What is FRP/GRP?

Before understanding fibreglass composite panels, let’s first understand FRP/GRP (fibreglass reinforced plastic), It is a composite material that uses fiberglass products (fibreglass cloth/tape/felt/yarn, etc.) as reinforcement materials and synthetic resins (unsaturated polyester, epoxy resin, phenolic resin, etc.) as matrix materials.FRP has many advantages, such as lightweight, high strength, waterproof, corrosion resistance, electrical insulation, heat insulation, etc. These advantages make it the most popular skin material for RV composite panels.

There are many advantages to using fiberglass composite panels in RVs over plywood or aluminum skin composite panels. FRP is not easy to rot, it will not rot in wet environments like wood. FRP is very light, it is lighter than the lightest metal aluminum. FRP composite panels are easy to process, whether it is cutting or assembling. The fibreglass composite panel for RV is a typical sandwich structure, which perfectly combines strength and lightweight. The upper and lower layers are gel-coated FRP sheets, and the middle is a core material. The core material is usually selected foam or honeycomb (according to application requirements). Many parts of the RV use fibreglass sandwich panels, such as wall panels, roof panels, floor panels, and furniture panels.

The core material of the fibreglass foam sandwich panel is usually selected from XPS, PET, PVC, PET, MPP, EPP, etc. The density, thermal conductivity, hardness, and water absorption of these foam materials are different. RV manufacturers choose core materials according to the application environment of the camper. For example, XPS and PU have very low water absorption and low thermal conductivity and are usually used in RVs with high thermal insulation performance. PET and PVC foams have relatively high density and hardness and are usually used in RVs with relatively high strength requirements.

The core material of the fiberglass honeycomb sandwich panel is usually PP (polypropylene), and the shape of the honeycomb is mostly circular holes with a diameter between 6~16mm. Compared with the fiberglass foam panel, the honeycomb panel is lighter and stronger. The skin of the commonly used fiberglass honeycomb panel is continuous fiberglass reinforced thermoplastic, which is composited with the core material by a thermal bonding process.