Hand lay-up places reinforcement fabric into an open mould and wets it out by hand, layer by layer. Tooling is the cheapest of any composite process, which makes it the standard route for single parts, buck-sized tooling patterns and short series where the shape matters more than the void content.
One-off parts from a plug and single-sided mould
Chopped strand mat, woven roving and biaxial fabrics
Gel-coated class-A show surfaces
In-mould inserts, ribs and mounting bosses
Low-cost tooling for 1–100 parts
Large panels up to 6 m in length
| Glass fibre CSM and woven roving |
| Carbon fibre 3K twill and UD |
| Polyester and vinyl ester resin |
| Epoxy for higher performance |
| PVC foam and balsa cores |
| Gel coats in RAL colours |
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Tooling lead time | 10–20 days for plug and mould |
| Quantity | 1–100 parts per mould |
| Fibre content | 30–45 % by weight |
| Thickness | 1.5–30 mm including sandwich |
| Max part size | up to 6 m |
| Surface | Gel coat, primer or paint-ready |
Coloured gel coat finish
Primed for automotive paint
Clear coat over carbon weave
CNC trimmed edges and bonded inserts
A well-made hand lay-up mould typically yields 100 to 200 parts before refurbishment. Larger series usually move to vacuum infusion or RTM, which both reduces cycle time and improves consistency.
Yes. We can take a part, or a mould from a part, and reproduce it, including gel coat colour and texture so the new panel blends with the original.
Glass-reinforced panels are typically 50–70 % lighter than an equivalent steel pressing and 30–50 % lighter than aluminium, with sandwich cores adding stiffness without much weight.
Glass & carbon fiber parts for automotive, motorsport, marine.
Vacuum infusion and RTM Light for consistent, low-void composite parts. Better fibre ratios and repeatability than hand lay-up, for 50-1,000 parts.
RTM and RTM Light for two-sided finished composite parts. Closed mould injection gives tight dimensions and class-A surfaces on both faces.
Sheet moulding compound compression moulding for high-volume composite parts. Class-A finish, fast cycles and repeatable dimensions above 1,000 parts.
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