This article presents a case study of lower-risk workflows developed and performed on a series of glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP) tools at a marine boats manufacturer using open-mould spray-up process. The workflows involve the measurement of surface roughness parameters using simple, handheld equipment to help support decisions when managing GFRP tools, including decisions involving their storage, use and maintenance activities. These actionable workflows in turn tie back to fundamentals of surface finish, measurement principles and how surface finish changes under the effect of various parameters. This framework of knowledge transfer between science and industrial practice has been developed by the Composites Research Network (CRN), which is called “knowledge in practice” and has helped composite manufacturers mitigate risk in their decision making. The goals of this paper are to demonstrate how this was achieved through applied research and for manufacturers to apply these outcomes.
展开▼
