Elite sportsmen and woman have been using cutting-edge materials to gain a competitive advantage for decades. More recently enthusiasts of all standards have embraced the advantages offered by the sports composite material technology.
We have supplied not only manufacturers of fishing rods, kayaks, kayak paddles, racing skulls, sailing dinghies and powerboats to name a few, we have also supplied individuals to either make their one-off designs or repairs. In our 30 years’ experience, we are proud to have supplied composite materials to help a number of British and foreign athletes attain the highest level of achievement at a variety of sports, including Chris Boardman’s gold-medal-winning LotusSport Pursuit Bike, Steven Redgrave and Matthew Pinsent’s rowing skulls and PRF was instrumental in the winning entrance of Dubai’s Victory Team to Class 1 Powerboating in 1992.
In addition, PRF supplies materials to a number of leisure applications, such as top-of-the-range loudspeakers, where consistent quality and technical innovation is imperative, and musical instruments such as guitars and cellos.
Talk to our team about your material requirements today.
Prepreg
PRF provides and innovative and responsive prepreg system, allowing us to use more specialist materials and provide prepreg systems that are tailored to suit our customers’ niche requirements. Our significant experience developing specialist materials means that we can develop a number of prepreg and resin-based systems specifically for the application and the specific requirements.
Reinforcements
We have extensive experience in developing bespoke woven and non-woven fabrics and will work together with clients in order to design the ideal solution to suit the requirements. Such bespoke materials can include new hybrid wovens, new weave patterns or new wovens using speciality fibres and materials. We can start this bespoke service with an order of just 7m for sampling and testing. We provide materials for cosmetic applications, including aesthetic grade carbon fibre, as well as having the ability to develop fabrics using coloured yarn, metallic yarn and different weave patterns for visual effects.
PRF develops and supplies a range of narrow width woven tapes and both flat and tubular braids. Our flat and tubular braids are manufactured in a variety of diameters and in virtually any fibre type. For these products, and a number of our other fabrics, we offer laminating and slitting services.
Our braided reinforcements have unique properties which make them suitable for complete part manufacture or local reinforcement in applications where fibres need to be oriented at angles rather than at 0°/90°, as found in woven fabrics. Braids are especially functional in applications where high shear loads can be expected; for instance, for joining components. The exceptional drapeability of these materials make them highly suitable to provide reinforcement over complex contours. We offer biaxial, triaxial and elasticated flat braids and tubular braids and braided preforms. Most fabrics are available.
Epoxy Resin Systems
PRF provide a class-leading range of epoxy resin systems which are approved for light aircraft and gliders. Our range contains a variety of systems, varying from low viscosity systems for room temperature laminating, RTM and resin infusion to systems that operate in high temperatures, specialist gelcoat formulations and adhesives.
Qiicote Mould Release Technologies
To complement our range of advanced composite products, PRF developed Qiicote mould release technologies for thermoset and thermoplastic composites. The Qiicote range of products offers hard-wearing release films giving multiple releases with no contaminating transfer, and a low cost per part released. We have also developed an internal mould release agent and Silicone Shield, a modified PVA which preserves silicone bags and seals up to 100°C.
Kit Cutting
Our two CNC cutting machines cut most commercially available materials in dry or prepreg form, including multiple layers of ballistic grade Kevlar®. Supplying our material in kit form saves your time and labour costs, with materials bagged, labelled and ready for use. It also provides consistent, high-quality parts and lot traceability.
