Coatings (CR 3400 In-Mould Epoxy Gelcoat/Surfacing System)
COATINGS FOR INFUSED BLADES
The manufacture of all blades typically requires an in-mould UV stable gelcoat (as the finished surface of the blade) or process coat (as a substrate suitable for painting).
Whilst a UV stable gelcoat helps to protect the laminate, if a painting scheme is to be used as the final coating of the blade then the complex formulation will add unnecessary cost to the process. It makes more sense to use a lower cost process coat that provides and easily sandable and repairable substrate that is ideal for painting.
CR 3400 PROCESS COAT
CR 3400 is an in-mould epoxy surfacing system for epoxy laminates, and is designed to be used as the base for the subsequent application of a paint scheme. CR 3400 is therefore formulated to be easily sandable so that once released, the CR 3400 surface can be readily keyed prior to the application of the paint system. This feature gives additional benefits in that any minor surface defects caused by laminate print-through or mould imperfections can easily be sanded away.
CR 3400 is applied into a mould in the same way as other epoxy gelcoats, and has similar handling characteristics. However, the product has a considerably longer overcoating window than other gelcoats - up to one day with Standard hardener at 20°C. This means that the system can also be used in a very flexible manufacturing environment.