CoreLite - CoreLite Blog , Tips and How To's

4 Key reasons you should be using balsa wood

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 21:44:55 +0000

Balsa wood has been around in the composites industry for several decades. It is used in a variety of applications and industries, including wind turbine blades, boat building, rail, aerospace, automotive, as well as several other industrial applications.

With such a versatile material, what are the key features that make balsa wood the right choice of core material for a project?

1. Lightweight

The standard density of balsa is 9.5lbs/cuft. However, BALSASUD Core is also available in 3 other densities:

• 6.5lb/cuft - Ultra Lite

• 8.25lb/cuft - Wind Grade

• 17.5lb/cuft - Heavy Weight

This provides users, with more choice to choose the right density according to their project's strength and weight requirements.

2. Super Strong

When compared to the synthetic foam core competitors in the market of the same density, balsa wood outperforms in all densities. In the infographic on the left, the balsa wood is depicted with the green bar. It is clear that in compression and shear, the balsa wood is much stronger. Evidently, nature does it better.

3. Cost effective

As balsa wood is a natural product we have optimized the production to yield a high quality material for a competitive price. It is known that some of the synthetic foam core materials are very complex to manufacture, thus the cost of the material reflects that fact. CoreLite is vertically integrated in the balsa wood production line. Controlling our entire manufacturing process from the trees to the end product enables CoreLite to maintain very competitive pricing.

4. Renewable

Balsa wood may have once been considered a weed in Ecuador. It grows naturally all throughout the country, but most notably the growth is very rapid. After only 4 years, the tree has reached a height of 90 feet. All of CoreLite's balsa wood comes from sustainable plantations that are managed responsibly and with care for the environment. Balsa wood is a renewable resource.

When working on a project that requires very high strength properties, but still requires light weight properties, consider balsa. These 4 key factors have kept the material around for a long time and we expect it to stick around for a while longer.

Check out our other post on awesome facts about balsa wood.

How do Structures Carry Loads?

Mon, 09 Dec 2013 18:14:23 +0000

Even though we may often forget or take for granted what is really going on when we add weight to a structure, what happens to the molecular and nanoscale level is amazing! How solid materials behave in structures to support loads will surprise you.

Basically, the best way to look at solids is to see them as a spring. Yes! A simple spring represents how solids work at the molecular level. How? Well, a spring compresses itself when a load pushes it, and it stretches itself when a force pulls it.

According to Robert Hooke, this is exactly what happens with the material at the molecular level; the chemical bonds which hold the atoms together are very strong and stiff, which allows the molecules to compress or stretch themselves without easily breaking. Of course, we do not see this molecular movement unless we are using a huge microscope that can allow us to see the behavior of atoms and molecules. However, the fact that it is not visible to the naked human eye, does not mean it is not happening.

With Hooke’s Law in mind, we can evidently realize that when a material or a structure is resisting a load of x force, it is actually pushing back at it with an opposite and equal force; if it were not pushing back at it, the material will clearly deflect in the direction of the force. This load can either pull or push a material or structure.

Solid materials change their shape by stretching or compressing themselves, every time a mechanical force is applied to them. Most of the time, this change in shape will be invisible to the naked human eye, but it is still happening at the molecular scale. Therefore, because the solid changes in shape (the atoms and molecules are reorganized), it is enabled to push back at it (just as a spring pushes back). However, when the force of the load is higher than the force the material is able to push back or withstand, we see a deflection or deformation in the material or structure.

Considering the theory of elasticity when working with composite materials, will allow us to pick the materials that will best fit the building of our desired structure.

6 Steps to Test a New Adhesive on Core Materials

Fri, 25 Oct 2013 20:43:11 +0000

In the composites the world, almost all of us use some sort of adhesive or resin in our manufacturing process. Due to this, there is a huge variety of adhesive/resin options available to us.

When desiring to use a different adhesive product on core materials, it is very important to do proper testing before using that new adhesive on the entire process. For this purpose, we provide 6 brief steps to properly test the possible use of a new resin(s) in your manufacturing process:

Proper Technical Analysis: This applies material properties analysis applies to both; the resins (old and new) and the core material that will be bonded. This step is crucial as it provides you with materials' compatibility pre-analysis and possible chemical reactions that are necessary to ensure safety and reliability. We want to make sure that the new resin will bond the materials in a strong and proper manner for the long-term, so any previous history of material compatibility will be useful in this analysis.
Bonding Test: Apply some of the new resin to be used on a small area of the core material. The small are could be 4” x 4” or 6” x 6” (you can also apply it to a full piece). The goal here is to see if the new adhesive strongly bonds the core material and observe possible resin absorption issues (to reduce resin absorption, balsa wood core can come in the coated configuration). You can opt to wait for up to 72 hours in this step or next step to see if the bonding was done as intended.
Environmental Test: Once the product has been bonded properly with the new resin, it is important to test in all the environmental conditions your product could possibly be used. This will give you a better picture on how effective the new resin actually is for your particular application. For example, some resins may not perform well when exposed to water. Some resins may increase the rigidity of the structure, while others increase flexibility. It all comes down to the point of what is the purpose of your application and where will it be exposed.
Wait 72 Hours (optional): This should be done in case you have had no experience or previous history with the new resin that is being tested and want to observe any possible change or reaction that may not occur immediately; but further on.
Performance Comparison: This needs to be done between the old and new resin(s) that are being tested. The following questions will help you summarize what needs to be taken into consideration for the sake of comparing what is the most effective resin for you:

What is the cost difference of the both resins?
How much resin was used for the same bonding purpose for each resin?
How strong was the core material bond with each resin?
How long does it take to cure?
Was there a difference in performance in different testing environments?
Last, but not least, multiply the cost of the resins being compared, by the amount of resin needed for the same bonding area and purpose to see which one is lower.

Decision: If the new intended adhesive performed well on the testing, then it means it is usable. However, if the new proposed adhesive performed even better than previous one and will save you money; it is a no-brainer.

This brief guide should be helpful in your analysis of switching the resin used in your manufacturing process with core materials, considering safety, performance and cost.

4 Key Ideas to Benefit from Social Media in Business

Thu, 10 Oct 2013 23:59:38 +0000

Social media has been rapidly increasing its penetration in users of all ages over the past years. Many of our friends and colleagues have at least one profile on a major Social Networking Site (SNS). This means that people, in general, are trying to stay more connected than before.

Social media is not only good for networking, but it is also an excellent platform to inform your latest news to the people that care, and get feedback from current and prospective customers. Through social media, people can express their desires, concerns or ideas to improve current and future products. It is all about ideas and innovation, and how useful it can be to learn what your customers want in the Research & Development process.

As this social trend continues to rapidly expand, there are constantly new SNS that are coming to the marketplace. Many of them, may not even be useful for your particular line of business. However, being present in at least one of the most widely known SNS can be very useful in many key ways.

Learn New Techniques

Learning is a key part for what many people go to social media. There are many composites groups with hundreds of composite industry professionals that are willing to help you with questions and problems that you may have; you just have to ASK. This can be seen as a concise"consulting" service that you are getting directly from other industry professionals. And, if you know the solution to a problem, please also help solve it. This does not mean, however, that you will always find the best answer to your problem there, but it certainly can help you answer your query.It is an online community to exchange knowledge.

Meet People that Want toMeet You

Social media is also an excellent tool to discover more people and companies that offer innovative products or services that can help you gain more competitive advantage in a variety of ways.There are many groups and discussions to join in social media, in many industries, including the composites industries. In LinkedIn and Twitter you may be able to find more suppliers, clients or even job postings, plus the opportunity to make connections with professionals that are looking for what you have to offer.

Get Product Information

Social media is a great way to tell a story and let the world know about a particular product/service. You can learn about product information, technical specifications and why it is worth looking into it (or maybe not worth looking into it). This may also include reviews by other industry professionals, product testimonials, plus the best ways for you to use that product. The composites industry is driven by innovation, and this is an excellent opportunity to keep up to date with the latest composite technologies and how you can leverage these technologies to reduce your costs and/or increase your overall quality.

4. Give Feedback!

What if you had the power to greatly influence the Research & Development teams of manufacturers? Well…Now you can do just that. With the evolution of new social media technologies, by posting suggestions to the company's Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn profiles on what you would like to see in the next product launch, it is very likely that management will work towards a product that would satisfy clients’ requests. Manufacturers do care a lot of what customers have to say and in fact, we try our best efforts to meet those requests. Feedback can go from ideas and suggestions to complaints and congratulations. The bottom line here is that social media technologies are now enabling a closer relationship with the client and the supplier. The clear benefits of these relationships are improved customer service and a community where questions can be answered.

Social media is allowing many industries to improve the client-supplier relationship in ways that you would have never imagined before.

After reading this, you probably have realized the value of social media to find better opportunities and connect with professionals in your industry. Through SNS many professionals can learn how to save money, improve quality and even manufacturing processes. Most likely, you will be able to effectively leverage social media to achieve any of those results.

3 Awesome Facts About Balsa Wood You Did Not Know

Tue, 01 Oct 2013 16:21:30 +0000

In the composites industry, we all know balsa wood (also known as "Ochroma pyramidale" for its scientific name), for its very strong but lightweight material properties used for a huge variety of applications. It is well regarded as an optimal core material for having excellent compression strength and shear strength properties.

However, what many do not know, is that balsa wood also enjoys some amazing natural properties that can increase most applications' performance:

1. Natural Insulation Material

Balsa wood, when used in many construction applications can help the interiors stay cool when it is hot outside and warm when it is cold outside. This is a great low-cost alternative material to use in sandwich structures used for home and building construction. At the end, this insulation property will reduce the construction cost and enable the building's users save money on heating/cooling costs, as there will be a reduction in the need to use the HVAC system that often.

2. Fire Retardant Material

Believe it or not, balsa wood, in contrast to many foam materials, is actually a fire retardant material. This means that a structure made with balsa wood core will require much more time and fire power to actually conduct the expansion of a fire, when compared to other core materials. Balsa wood is not affected by high temperatures, making it easy to work in different environments with no problem. This represents a great innovation for the concept of safer homes and buildings.

3. Noise Reduction Material

In many applications where it is crucial to reduce outside noise (like in a music or video recording room, or an office building next to a factory) or simply improve the acoustics of large auditoriums and theaters. Balsa wood serves as a great core material for panels used in the construction of such applications. Many homes and buildings that opt to reduce outside noise can also opt for such panels and improve comfort to its users.

As you can see, there are multiple applications that can significantly benefit from the use of organic materials, such as balsa wood core. These natural properties are not only limited to the applications mentioned here, but can also be applied to many more applications.

3 Ways to Get the Most Out of IBEX Show

Sat, 14 Sep 2013 23:33:08 +0000

Planning on assisting to the IBEX Show this year? Want to get the most out of your experience at IBEX?

There is definitely an effective way to make sure your trip to IBEX this year is worth it and will help you in building better boats and keep your company at the forefront of marine innovation.

IBEX Show is by far the best international boat builder's show to attend if you want to keep up with the constant innovation of the marine industry to deliver better boats. The following are ways to get the most out of the IBEX 2013:

1. See and Try What is New for Your Future Boat Models
This is crucial to stay ahead of competitors, as you will learn not only how the current products you are using have improved, but also about completely new and innovative products and tools for you to build better boats. This does not mean that every year there is something completely revolutionary that is changing the world of boat building, but most of the time you will discover new ways to improve your quality and just make your boat cooler.

2. Learn Ways to Save Manufacturing Costs

As technology keeps advancing and becoming more sophisticated every year, manufacturing costs tend to fall. Innovative companies keep modernizing their manufacturing plants so they can deliver better quality without significantly increasing their prices. Others, tend to develop new manufacturing technologies to lower production costs and offer lower prices to customers. At IBEX, most of these companies are introducing their new products and are willing to work together with you to reduce boat builder's costs without giving up on quality.

3. Networking with Marine Suppliers

IBEX is great not only to connect vendors with buyers, but also for both to establish relationships that can result very fruitful for both sides. The goals should not only be to discover new products that can save you money or increase your boat's quality, but also to establish closer relationships with you supplier. The benefits are very straightforward; you will not only gain the best quality and pricing, but also the best service.

If you follow these 3 tips for the IBEX shows you attend, you will for sure leave confident that your trip was completely worth it, you will learn what is new in the market and leave with great business contacts. The end result is that after it, you will have better ideas to which direction to point your next year's boat model.