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On October 4, an international technical seminar "Composite materials based on polyester resins and gelcoats" was held in the White Column Hall of the central building of the St. Petersburg State Technological Institute (Technical University). The seminar was organized by the UTS Group - the largest distributor of chemical raw materials in Russia, together with the Department of Plastics of the St. Petersburg State Technological Institute (TU).

During the seminar, the German manufacturer of gelcoats and matrix resins, BÜFA Composite Systems, presented its unique solutions. In the field of matrix materials - epoxy vinyl ester system, in which BÜFA Conductive Gelcoat GC gelcoat ensures the absence of static on the matrix surface, BÜFA Resin VE0190 barrier resin has a shrinkage 2.5 times lower than any other epoxy vinyl ester resin from this field of application. The heat resistance of the system reaches 122 ° C, which is 50% higher than standard resins.
BÜFA Resin VE 7100 Tooling base layer resin has increased transparency and viscosity at half the level of commercially available non-shrinking resins. Up to 12 wet-on-wet layers can be formed on this resin without shrinkage. In the field of sanitary gelcoats - matte gelcoats and glossy gelcoats with increased scratch resistance. Samples of fiberglass made with ISO 3000 gelcoat without fading and chalking on bright and dark colors were also demonstrated.

The representative of one of the largest Russian manufacturers of polyester resins, the company "Raduga-Sintez", made a report on resins for reinforcing acrylic and ABS sheets without filler, for the production of sanitary ware. These resins guarantee excellent wetting of roving and free-flowing fillers, have good weather resistance, good thermal and electrical characteristics, good mechanical properties, stable gel times and a reduced exothermic peak. The company representative also spoke about the quality system that has been implemented at the enterprise. Each employee of LLC "Raduga Sintez" is responsible for the quality of work performed and products. The introduction of the quality system has strengthened the company's image as a stable and reliable partner. The company's specialists consider the issue of quality as a priority and work under the motto "From the quality of work to the quality of products and the quality of life."

The distributor of the Dutch manufacturer of dosing and tinting equipment, Fast & Fluid, TEKSA, presented new products in this industry and, in particular, spoke in detail about the installation at which the ETS Group of Companies operates. The Dutch company Fast & Fluid Management is the largest manufacturer of dosing and mixing equipment for tinting various materials, including gel coats. “Dosing is carried out by volume, so when choosing a dispenser for tinting gelcoats, first of all, you need to make sure that the colorants are fluid. In addition, the rheology of the colorants must allow a minimum drop of product to break away from the nozzle under its own gravity. Here you need to pay attention to such a parameter as viscosity. Our equipment can handle materials with a viscosity of up to 50,000 centipoise (cP). As a rule, the viscosity of colorants does not exceed 15,000 cP. All Fast & Fluid dispensers are equipped with piston pumps with airtight valves, which ensure high dosing accuracy and require a minimum of maintenance due to the simplicity of their design, ”said Alina Samygina, manager of the equipment and projects department of TEKSA LLC. For mixing gelcoats, Alina Samygina recommends using a gyroscopic type apparatus - a gyromixer. Unlike a vibrating shaker, it will provide high quality mixing in a shorter time. Gyromixers "Fast & Fluid" can handle containers weighing up to 40 kg and up to 40 cm high.

The participants of the seminar visited the Engineering Center of the Technological Institute, where they were shown modern equipment and the possibilities of testing the components of compositions and plastic products on it. These include devices for thermal and thermomechanical analysis, a Shimadzu universal testing machine, UV and IR spectrophotometers. The Engineering Center is a base of modern analytical equipment for the development of research and development, where specialists from educational, industrial, scientific and research enterprises and organizations can apply. In general, the participants of the seminar were very pleased with the information content, chamber atmosphere and location and showed great interest in ensuring that such events continue on a regular basis.

Feedback from some participants:

LLC Profit Center Plus is one of the leading manufacturers in the Ural region of spare parts made of composite materials for rolling stock in Russia and the CIS countries. “I really liked the clarity of the organization of the seminar, the possibility of informal communication with colleagues and the visit to the testing center of the Technological Institute. I propose to provide for the practical part in future seminars and shift the time of the seminar to a warmer season ", - Alexander Nenakhov, head of the department of innovative developments.

Avangard OJSC is the largest manufacturer of composite products for special purposes. “I liked the timing of the event, I really liked that it was possible to examine the product samples. I was pleased with the opportunity to communicate directly with a large German producer of raw materials. I didn’t like that there was no presentation of the companies and I would like the practical part of creating a matrix ”, - Nikitina Svetlana, Lead Design Engineer for Tooling.

Eto Elementarno LLC is a developer of engineering solutions in the field of pipeline rehabilitation using a stocking. “I liked the reports, a lot of new useful information, there was an opportunity to exchange experiences on the sidelines and get acquainted with some of the provided samples. The disadvantages include the lack of a clear practical exchange of experience ”, - Petr Mikhalev, head of the department.

Blitz interview with Leonid Raikhlin, UTS's leading sales manager for gelcoats, resins, glass materials, as well as the ideological inspirer and organizer of the seminar.

Why does UTS hold such seminars?

The UTS Group, being the leader among distributors of chemical raw materials in Russia and the CIS countries, sees its role in the market not only as a supplier of certain goods, but as a conductor of innovative solutions from the world's largest manufacturers. We have been working in this format for a long time in the paint and varnish, construction and other industries. This is how we decided to act on the composite market as well.

What are your guides when choosing a topic for a seminar?

When choosing a topic for a seminar, we always try to combine the requests of our clients, analysis of the Russian market and new trends in Europe. Next year we plan to expand the workshop to include presentations from fiberglass manufacturers and presentations from composite manufacturers. Also, unlike this year's event, we are exploring the possibility of a two-day program, which will add a practical part.

What topic are you planning to hold the next seminar on?

It is still premature to talk about the topic of the seminar, but most likely we will bring to the attention of our clients completely new solutions that will significantly reduce the cost of final products, both in the field of gelcoats and resins, and in the field of glass materials.