Posted by Taylor Wiewiora on | Comments Off on The Fiberglass Advantage for Pools and Spa Accessories
Facility designers, engineers, and procurement teams face constant challenges when specifying materials for high-traffic aquatic environments. Traditional materials like concrete and vinyl frequently fail under chemical and environmental stress, driving up maintenance and lifecycle costs.
As a custom manufacturer of industrial fiberglass products, CMDT Manufacturing partners with mechanical and electrical contractors to deliver rugged, specialized aquatic structures. Discover how utilizing a custom fiberglass pool or fiberglass spa eliminates common facility pain points, improves swimmer safety, and provides long-term operational value.
Durability and Longevity
Aquatic environments subject materials to constant moisture, chemical exposure, and temperature fluctuations. Traditional concrete cracks over time. Vinyl liners tear and degrade under ultraviolet light. A custom fiberglass pool resists these common structural failures. We utilize specific fiberglass resins, including general-purpose, high-temperature, and vinyl ester blends, to build resilient structures engineered for chemical and thermal resistance.
This structural rigidity stands as one of the primary fiberglass advantages for commercial aquatic centers. A molded fiberglass spa maintains its shape and integrity through decades of heavy use. Our technicians take your STEP files and execute complete in-house mold making to build durable components. We also deploy technicians to perform field service work across North Texas to support our installed products.
Engineering Support and Low Maintenance
Property managers and homeowners spend significant time and money balancing water chemistry and scrubbing porous surfaces. The non-porous nature of molded fiberglass prevents algae from taking root. We apply automotive-grade product painting to our aquatic accessories. This smooth finish repels dirt and scaling. Contractors reduce their clients’ long-term maintenance costs by installing these composite structures.
Facility operators spend less money on harsh cleaning chemicals and spend fewer hours brushing the walls. Beyond the composite material itself, our technicians apply specialized gel coats and protective topcoats to our aquatic accessories. This non-porous finish repels dirt and heavy scaling, preventing chemical scaling from binding to the substrate. Consequently, facility operators use fewer chemical additives and reduce active maintenance hours.
Comfort and Safety
Swimmer safety remains a priority for facility designers and procurement teams. Concrete surfaces often develop rough patches that scrape skin and snag bathing suits. We manufacture smooth, seamless components that protect users. Our team takes your project from a basic STEP file all the way to full production to guarantee perfect surface conditions.
To achieve strict safety compliance and user comfort, we fabricate several specialized components tailored to specific facility blueprints:
Custom stairways. Molded with integrated slip-resistant textures to provide secure footing during water entry and egress.
Seamless slides. Fabricated as a continuous composite piece to eliminate sharp joints, exposed hardware, or abrasive seams.
Sturdy diving boards. Reinforced with high-density foam stiffeners to support repeated physical impacts without structural cracking.
Engineers design these accessories to eliminate the physical hazards associated with degrading plaster or tearing vinyl.
Contact CMDT Manufacturing to Get Started on Your Next Project
CMDT Manufacturing delivers full-service fabrication from the initial STEP file to final production. We support mechanical contractors and engineers with competitive mold pattern pricing and rapid lead times. A standard pattern to mold to part cycle takes 10 to 12 weeks, while existing molds yield finished parts in one to two weeks.
We focus on production-level volumes and generally avoid one-off custom pieces due to high startup costs. Capitalize on these fiberglass advantages for your next aquatic project. Whether you need accessories for a large fiberglass pool or a complete structure for a fiberglass spa, our team builds components to your exact specifications.
Posted by Daniel Ducic on | Comments Off on Fiberglass Fabrication 101
Fiberglass fabrication plays a critical role across industries where corrosion resistance, structural reliability, and custom geometry matter. From industrial chemical tanks and wastewater components to shipping enclosures, aquatic features, and aviation parts, fiberglass is often selected because it performs where traditional materials fall short.
Despite being so popular, the fabrication process for fiberglass products is relatively unknown. This guide provides a foundational overview of fiberglass fabrication to help engineers and procurement teams understand where fiberglass fits, what factors influence performance, and how it’s commonly applied across real-world projects.
How is Fiberglass Fabricated?
Fiberglass fabrication typically relies on various molding processes that shape and support the part while layers of glass reinforcement and resin are applied. Molds define the final geometry, surface finish, and dimensional consistency of the component, making them central to most fiberglass production.
Within molded fabrication, different reinforcement and resin application techniques are used depending on part size, performance requirements, and production volume. Two common approaches are hand layup and chopper spray application:
Hand layup. Hand layup involves placing fiberglass mat or cloth into a mold and saturating it with resin by hand. This approach allows for precise control over fiber placement, reinforcement patterns, and localized thickness. It’s commonly used for prototypes, low-volume production, mold making, and areas of a part that require specific structural properties or a higher-quality finish.
Chopper spray. Chopper spray uses specialized equipment to cut continuous glass fibers and spray them with resin directly into a mold. This technique efficiently builds thickness over larger surface areas and supports consistent material distribution, making it useful for increasing production efficiency while maintaining structural performance.
In practice, fiberglass components are rarely produced using a single technique alone. Most parts rely on a combination of molding and layup methods selected based on the specific requirements of the application. Common molding techniques include:
3D molding for creating complex, multi-dimensional fiberglass components
Flat molding for producing uniform fiberglass panels
Structural foam molding for producing strong yet lightweight fiberglass parts with foam cores
Transfer molding for creating parts with consistent material distribution and improved structural integrity
Vacuum bag molding for creating fiberglass components with enhanced strength and minimal voids
Materials for Fiberglass Fabrication
Material selection directly impacts how your fiberglass part performs in real-world conditions. Resin choice, in particular, plays a central role in determining how a finished part responds to its operating environment. While many resin systems are available, fiberglass fabrication commonly relies on:
General-purpose resins. These polyester-based resins provide cost-effective performance for standard environments where exposure to high temperatures or aggressive chemicals is limited. They are often used when structural demands are moderate and environmental conditions are well controlled.
High-temperature resins. High-temperature resin systems are formulated to maintain mechanical strength and dimensional stability at elevated operating temperatures. These resins are selected when components are exposed to sustained heat or thermal cycling that would degrade standard formulations.
Vinyl ester resins. Vinyl ester resins offer enhanced resistance to corrosion, chemicals, and moisture. They are commonly specified for applications involving acids, solvents, or other harsh substances where long-term durability is critical.
Beyond resin selection, fiberglass materials include a range of glass fiber reinforcements (mat, woven roving, and cloth), each contributing different strength, stiffness, and surface characteristics. Additional additives or coatings may also be incorporated to improve UV resistance, flame retardancy, or other performance requirements.
Applications and Uses of Fiberglass
Fiberglass is commonly used where traditional materials struggle with corrosion, weight, or complex shapes. A few common examples include:
Industrial manufacturing. Fiberglass performs well in environments exposed to moisture, chemicals, or frequent washdowns, offering corrosion resistance and dimensional stability where metal can degrade over time.
Aviation. Its strength-to-weight ratio makes fiberglass suitable for components where weight reduction is important without compromising structural integrity.
Wastewater treatment. Continuous chemical exposure can quickly degrade conventional materials. Properly formulated fiberglass maintains performance and durability in corrosive environments.
Pool, spa, and aquatic applications. Fiberglass is often chosen because it maintains performance when exposed to constant moisture. This makes it well-suited for slides, diving boards, and other pool or aquatic features that require durability and consistent structural integrity over time.
Contact CMDT Manufacturing to Get Started
Fiberglass fabrication works best when material selection, molding approach, and performance requirements are aligned early. The right fabrication partner helps turn those decisions into durable, reliable parts.
CMDT Manufacturing has fabricated quality fiberglass components since 2008, offering in-house mold making and fabrication capabilities that support consistent results from start to finish. Contact CMDT Manufacturing today to discuss your project or request a quote.
info@cmdtmfg.com
855.551.9004