Moldite Structural Sandwich Material
March 2001 - Moldite Technologies (Novi, MI), a joint venture formed by Venture Industries and composites developer Moldite, Inc., announces the development of Moldite(tm), a new lightweight, high-strength material. Unique properties suggest that Moldite will be highly suitable for a broad range of applications that include automotive, industrial, marine, military and aerospace. The key to this thermal-set resin composite "sandwich" rests in its proprietary core. Moldite has an exceptionally high stiffness-to-weight ratio and offers a high-performance alternative to materials such as ultra high-strength steel and aluminum. And, this product actually floats, with specific gravity for most structures under 1.0.
Unlike other composite materials, the Moldite core materials can be engineered to exceed the tensile strength of flanking long-fiber materials including carbon, glass, or aramid fibers. Customers benefit from the greater variety of materials that may be used in combination with Moldite, such as: Formica(tm), wood, plastic, or metal on one half and high-strength fibers on the other. In contrast with aerospace grade carbon or glass fibers, the Moldite "sandwich" eliminates the traditional layered approach and places the fiber strategically within the structure to achieve targeted stiffness objectives.
The use of Moldite can reduce product weight up to 90%. "In a recent plastic pallet application, we were able to replace 22 pounds of square 1/8" wall steel tube with just 2.2 pounds of Moldite and pass all customer specification tests," says Moldite Technologies CEO and Venture Executive VP, Dave Peash. "This is just the tip of the iceberg," continues Peash. "Weight-reduction capabilities of this magnitude, coupled with Moldite's capabilities as a structural stiffener, characterize a material with virtually limitless potential."
The structural stability of Moldite's thermal-set resin composition yields enhanced fire-retardant and corrosion-resistant properties including resistance to harsh chemicals, caustics, mold, mildew and most environmental exposures. It also demonstrates exceptional energy-blocking and temperature-insulation qualities with some designs able to withstand a blowtorch test and others able to barrier liquid nitrogen.
Exhibiting high impact-resistance, Moldite is over six times stiffer than steel per pound, yet remains highly machinable. Its use can dramatically reduce tooling costs. Moldite products can be compression-molded or pultruded, with many standard pultrusion profiles possible.
"Considering all of Moldite's unique advantages," summarizes Peash, "we're confident that its impact will be felt across an enormously wide spectrum of applications including pallet and skid reinforcement, construction and fenestration materials, transportation, marine, aviation/aerospace and the military."
Moldite, Inc. is a composites development company and the holder of the applied-for patent of the Moldite material.
Venture Industries, headquartered in Fraser, Michigan, is a $2.4 billion global automotive supplier providing interior systems, cockpit modules, front-end systems, exterior trim as well as composite closure and body panels. The company delivers services that encompass advanced engineering, tooling, manufacturing and assembly and sequencing and logistics. Venture has more than 60 strategic facilities and alliances on five continents, forming the world's largest integrated automotive supply enterprise. Key customers include automakers in North America, Europe and Asia. For more information about Venture Industries visit: www.ventureindustries.com.
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Produced for Moldite Technologies
Contact:
Beverly Langstrom
French & Rogers, Inc.
(248) 641-0044
Fax: (248) 641-1718
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