However, considering the many types and methods of producing a reinforced composite profile, the manufacturing method of pultrusion results in the production of one of the world’s strongest and most durable products available today.

In the pultrusion process, material is physically pulled through the die by a pulling mechanism. The first step of successfully producing pultruded profiles that yield the mechanical strength and physical requirements start in the engineering and design phase. The engineers must design and manufacture the pultrusion die to very strict tolerances of thickness, angularity, radius, etc. Working in parallel to the die design, a separate group of specialty Composite Engineers lay out the glass reinforcement of continuous strand mats, uni-directional roving, surfacing veils, resins, and internal chemicals that are then incorporated into the orientation of glass placement within
the profile.

Once the die and preforming set-up reaches the pultrusion machine, the operators and engineers start to string the profile according to the specification of the particular profile. Stringing the profile is as simple as pulling the glass reinforcements and surfacing veils through a series of preforming guides, then through the actual die itself. Once the raw reinforcements are pulled through the die and secured to the pulling mechanism, the specified resin is added to either a wet out bath, injection manifolds, or a combination of both.

As the glass passes through the wet out bath and through the injection manifolds, it is completely saturated with a thermo set resin that includes the fillers, catalyst, pigments, etc. As the glass enters the back of the die it is under extreme pressure forcing out any air and excess resin from the reinforcement. Once inside the controlled heated die, the part passes through various stages of heat, which initiates several catalyst systems to react within the laminate allowing the layers of reinforcements to be mechanically fixed to each other resulting in a solidified laminate exiting the die.

Upon exit of the die, the profile continues its journey towards the puller. The puller is typically made up of a caterpillar design that sandwiches the profile between a series of pads that is connected to a drive mechanism that keeps the laminate moving. Therefore resulting in what is also referred to as Continuous Laminating Process. Upon exiting the puller, the laminate passes through the final stage of a cut off saw where it is cut to its final length.

Duratel pultruded products offer the following advantages: