Gulf Construction Online - Innovative GRC spray machine launched

GRC

The P38 can spray traditional 'hand-sprayed' GRC and 'premix' GRC.

Innovative GRC spray machine launched

01 March 2003

Power-Sprays Limited, a specialist UK GRC machinery manufacturer, has launched a new machine for spraying GRC.

Called the PS38, the machine is capable of spraying both traditional 'hand-sprayed GRC' and 'premix' GRC, says the company.

Accordingly, the traditional method of hand-spraying GRC into moulds has been vastly simplified since several complexities are avoided with sprayed premix GRC.
* All materials are sprayed from one nozzle;
* No need to calibrate and synchronise the outputs of the chopper and the pump;
* Several hoses and the glass-fibre rovings feed to the spray head are eliminated; and
* Dismantling of pump parts for cleaning is entirely unnecessary.

A huge benefit to GRC designers, architects, specifiers and manufacturers is that of quality assurance (including control of the all-important fibre content in the mix). This is improved since all the ingredients are processed together.

Other benefits arise because the special 'premix' spray gun is more compact than a traditional GRC spray head. Access into small and difficult mould shapes is improved. As a direct result, there will undoubtedly be many extensions to the existing product range in GRC, the company says.

Although Power-Sprays first pioneered the Spray Premix process back in the 1980s, it is only with the development of the new machinery and improvements in the AR Glassfibre available (courtesy of Nippon Electric Glass Company of Japan) that the process has become practically viable, it adds.

Power-Sprays is renowned worldwide for pioneering new equipment for GRC technology and several producers have already placed firm orders for the new machines.

Power-Sprays believes that 'Sprayed Premix GRC' will rapidly become very popular with manufacturers as a highly efficient, cost-effective and reliable construction composite.