The company is finishing installation of a new double-belt laminator/press from Sandvik TPS Composite Solutions division of Sandvik AB at its production facilities. The new equipment will begin commercial production in mid-August and will enable Carver to supply preconsolidated continuous roll goods and precut sheets to the half of its customer base using infrared (IR) heaters prior to moulding nonwovens with thermoplastic matrices into three-dimensional (3D) shapes.

Double-belt laminators are widely used to produce prepregs and unidirectional tapes with fiberglass or carbon fibre reinforcement. Such equipment also is used to consolidate glass fibre and carbon fibre mats, webs, or cross-ply reinforcements (including fabrics and nonwovens using commingled polymer-based fibers) with thermoplastic or thermoset matrices.

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