AOC Supports The People’s Choice
In the 2005 Awards for Composites Excellence competition, Baja Marine Corp. earned the People’s Choice award with help from AOC resin technology and service. The award is determined by a vote of attendees at Composites 2005, the annual trade show and technical conference of the American Composites Manufacturers Association held this year in Columbus, Ohio.
The winning application is a hybrid stringer-liner system that combines fiberglass braid with carbon fiber reinforcement in areas requiring extra strength and stiffness. Baja Marine’s stringer-liner system integrates structural elements such as support beams with functional elements such as seating. The unique design reduces labor, weight and fuel consumption while improving the boat’s speed and performance.
AOC developed a hybrid vinyl resin to meet Baja Marine’s requirements for smooth processing in the shop and high performance on the water. AOC technical support has been essential element of Baja’s transition to closed molding. "AOC is proud to work with the people of Baja as they respond to the composites industry’s mandate for change," says Mike Dettre, Business Manager - Closed Mold.
Two Other Finalists
Two other finalists in this year’s ACE competition were also made with AOC material and backed by AOC technical support. As part of its program to diversity into new businesses, Meridian Automotive uses AOC vinyl ester to formulate a compound that is compression molded into shower pans that Lasco Bathware sells to the consumer market. AOC resin contributes to the application’s strength, light weight, aesthetics and ability to meet Uniform Plumbing Code regulations.
Also in the 2005 ACE competition was an oil containment system fabricated from composite lineals pultruded by Strongwell who purchases isophthalic polyester for the application from AOC.