Composite materials

The properties of different materials developped in a laboratory, their usage per type of products, and how to create them.

composite equipment
composite objects
composite material
composite components
composite goods

knowledge

cross-sector

Composite materials is an essential knowledge of the following occupations:

Asphalt plant operator: Asphalt plant operators extract raw materials such as sand and stones and operate mobile equipment for their transport to the plant. They tend automated machines to crush and sort out stones, and to mix the sand and stones with asphalt cement. They take samples to check the quality of the mix and arrange for its transport to the construction site.
Engineered wood board grader: Engineered wood board graders inspect finished engineered wood products for quality issues such as inclomplete gluing, warping or blemishing. They also test load bearing qualities of the wood. Graders sort products for quality according to guidelines.
Plastic and rubber products manufacturing supervisor: Plastic and rubber products manufacturing supervisors manage and coordinate the activities of personnel involved in plastic or rubber products manufacturing, making sure the production is efficiently, safely and cost-effectively processed. They are responsible for the installation of new production lines and for the provision of trainings.
Materials engineer: Materials engineers research and design new or improved materials for a diverse number of applications. They analyse the composition of materials, conduct experiments, and develop new materials for industry-specific use that can range from rubber, to textiles, glass, metals, and chemicals. They advise companies in damage assessments, quality assurance of materials, and recycling of materials.
Engineered wood board machine operator: Engineered wood board machine operators work with machines to bond particles or fibres made from wood or cork. Various industrial glues or resins are applied to obtain fibre board, particle board or cork board.

Composite materials is optional for these occupations. This means knowing this knowledge may be an asset for career advancement if you are in one of these occupations.

Fiberglass laminator: Fiberglass laminators mould fiberglass materials to form hulls and boat decks. They read blueprints and use hand and power tools to cut the composite materials. They apply waxes and lacquers, and prepare surfaces for the placement of fiberglass mats. They use resin-saturated fiberglass to bond wood reinforcing strips to cabin structures and decks. They also prepare materials exposing those to the right temperature. They check finished products for defects and make sure they comply with the specifications.

Fibreglass machine operator: Fibreglass machine operators control and maintain the machine that sprays a mix of resin and glass fibers onto products such as bathtubs or boat hulls to obtain strong and lightweight composite end-products.
Filament winding operator: Filament winding operators tend, control and maintain machines that coat filament, usually fibreglass or carbon, in resin and wind them around a rotation mould to produce pipes, containers, tubes and other hollow cylindrical products.
Fibre machine tender: Fibre machine tenders operate and maintain extrusion machines that form sliver from filaments. They work with synthetic materials such as fiberglass or liquid polymer or non-synthetic materials such as rayon.
Pultrusion machine operator: Pultrusion Machine Operators tend, control, and maintain machines which enable the production of composite materials with consistent cross-sections by adding reinforcement fibres such as fibreglass to the existing material and coating the resulting material with resin; this then is pulled through a heated dye where it becomes cured.
Chemical engineer: Chemical engineers design and develop large-scale chemical and physical production processes and are involved in the entire industrial process required for transforming raw materials into products.

References

1. Composite materials – ESCO