Building Coated Materials into Sandwich-Like Composite Structures
Doug Sharpe
President of Elasto Proxy
Elasto Proxy uses coated fabrics and provides fabric coating services for acoustic insulation and water-repellent materials. Coated fabrics are covered or treated with liquid rubber or plastic to impart specific properties such as sound dampening or water resistance. Elasto Proxy then uses these coated materials to custom-fabricate sealing or insulation solutions that meet all of your application requirements.
Many different types of coated fabrics are available. Choices include thermoplastic polyolefins such as polyethyelene (PE), elastomers such as ethylene propylene rubber (EPR), and nylon materials such as aramids. Nylon, a generic name for a large family of synthetic polymers, can be coated with urethane for increased toughness and abrasion resistance.
Thermal Insulation, Acoustic Insulation, and Vibration Dampening
By listening to your requirements and applying our technical knowledge, Elasto Proxy can recommend the right coated fabrics for use with thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, and/or vibration dampening. With our in-depth application experience, we can also help with the design of composites materials that have a complex, sandwich-like structure.
Typically, these sandwich-like composites consist of foams, fillers or barrier materials, and adhesives. The materials that are used in each layer help determine the composite’s overall properties. Each layer also performs one or more functions. For example, insulation may include one or more layers of coated fabrics that provide sound-blocking and vibration-blocking properties.
Water-Repellent Materials
Coated fabrics can form the outer layers of a sandwich-like composite, or serve as internal layers. With outdoor applications that require water resistance, coated fabrics with water-repellent properties can be used to prevent the ingress of rainwater, and to protect acoustic foams. By coating the right fabrics and building quality sandwich-like structures, Elasto Proxy strengthens your overall product design.
Ask our solutions providers for more information about how we use coated fabrics at our Boisbriand, Quebec, Canada facility, and how we also offer fabric coating services. In addition to helping you with material selection, Elasto Proxy can recommend the right type of adhesive tape to use with multi-layer composite materials.
How Can We Help You?
Do you need to source coated fabrics for sealing and insulation? How can we help you? For more information, please contact us or request a quote. Join the conversation on our social media sites as well. Look for a post with a link to this blog entry on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, and Twitter. Elasto Proxy also has a YouTube channel, too.
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