CoreLite - CoreLite Blog by gdc-corelite

CoreLite Signs Agreement with Local Government for Balsa Wood Supply

Fri, 04 Dec 2020 23:11:17 +0000

CoreLite has signed a long-term Balsa Wood plantation cooperation agreement with the local Government of Los Rios Province in Ecuador during a public ceremony on Wednesday December 2, 2020. This agreement entails the planting and harvesting of Balsa Wood plantations throughout Los Rios Province over a 5-year period with a target number of 2,500 hectares of Balsa Wood plantations. The main drive of this agreement is to bring technological development and the creation of new jobs in Ecuador.

"This agreement will create several life-changing income opportunities for the local communities in Los Rios Province with a completely sustainable product that is commonly used in wind energy applications" said Mr. Johnny Teran Salcedo, Prefect of Los Rios Province, Ecuador.

This private-public partnership will also ensure the ample availability of sustainably and legally sourced raw material for the production of Balsa Wood panels that CoreLite manufactures and distributes worldwide.

"This is part of CoreLite's global sustainability initiative to promote responsible forestry, reduce the carbon footprint, while at the same time ensuring future availability of raw material" said Mr. Paul Lewis, Managing Director at CoreLite.

Balsa Wood is an endemic wood species to Los Rios Province, so the natural ecosystem of Los Rios Province will be restored.

Left: Mr. Johnny Teran Salcedo, Prefect of Los Rios Province, Ecuador.

Right: Mr. Paul Lewis, Managing Director at CoreLite

About CoreLite

CoreLite is a global manufacturer of advanced Balsa & Foam core materials for high performance composite applications. CoreLite specializes in producing sustainable materials and delivering customized composite solutions to solve engineering challenges.

For more information about CoreLite visit: www.corelitecomposites.com

For more information about Los Rios Government visit: www.losrios.gob.ec

CoreLite Unveils Next-Generation PC11 Pro Coating for BALSASUD® Core

Fri, 02 Mar 2018 08:11:24 +0000

BALSASUD Core Coated CoreLite will unveil the next-generation PC11 Pro coating system at the JEC World 2018 in Paris during March 6 to March 8. The PC11 Pro coating system was engineered to significantly reduce resin uptake during the lamination process by sealing the pores in the end-grain balsa wood sheet more effectively than the standard PC11 coating system.

Balsa core resin uptake was compared between the standard PC11 formulation, and the newly developed PC11 Pro formulation against non-coated balsa. The balsa core was coated using the latest UV technology and then vacuum infused. The results show as expected: the new PC11 Pro formulation achieves significantly lower resin uptake compared to the standard PC11 coating formulation.

A typical balsa sheet of non-coated balsa wood core will absorb roughly 1900 grams of resin per square meter (177 grams of resin per square foot) during infusion. The standard PC11 formulation was able to reduce the resin uptake by up to 46% to 1020 grams per square meter (95 grams per square foot) of resin uptake. The new PC11 Pro formulation is completely revolutionary as it reduces resin uptake by up to 76% to only 450 grams per square meter (42 grams of resin per square foot).

After several months of Research & Development, we are glad to release the most advanced coating technology for balsa wood core in the market, which can provide incredible resin cost savings to our customers and significantly decrease the weight of the final composite structure” said Ms. Elsa Axelsdottir, Innovation Manager at CoreLite.

This new coating solution will be a key component to make structures lighter and more cost effective without losing the unique mechanical properties of balsa core. It can be used in wind, marine, rail, automotive, aerospace, defense and industrial applications. And can be used with different lamination processes including hand lay-up, vacuum bagging and infusion.

About CoreLite

CoreLite is a manufacturer of advanced balsa & foam core materials for high performance composites applications. CoreLite specializes in producing sustainable materials and delivering customized composite solutions with agile turnarounds.

For more information about CoreLite visit: www.corelitecomposites.com

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.

CoreLite Attains DNV GL Certification for its BALSASUD Core SG

Fri, 06 Jan 2017 08:38:27 +0000

CoreLite has received the distinguished DNV GL Type Approval Certification for its end-grain balsa wood: BALSASUD Core SG. CoreLite is one of the first balsa wood core suppliers to attain accreditation through the new combined DNV GL body. This designation indicates that CoreLite’s end-grain balsa wood is suitable for use as a core material in the manufacturing of sandwich-structured composites.

“DNV GL accreditation represents a major achievement for CoreLite and demonstrates the suitability of CoreLite’s end-grain balsa wood, as a core material for sandwich construction” said Ms. Elsa Axelsdottir, Innovation Manager at CoreLite.

Driven by the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, DNV GL enables organizations to advance the safety and sustainability of their business. DNV GL operates in more than 100 countries and is dedicated to help companies make the world safer, smarter and greener.

For more information about DNV GL visit www.dnvgl.com

CoreLite Achieves Lloyd's Register Certification for its BALSASUD Core

Mon, 12 Dec 2016 17:11:10 +0000

CoreLite is very pleased to announce that its end-grain balsa wood core material, BALSASUD Core, has achieved the prestigious Lloyd's Register Certification.

This Type Approval certifies that BALSASUD Core meets certain quality standards and mechanical properties as a core material for FRP sandwich construction.

CoreLite's BALSASUD Core has the Certificate No. MATS/4830/1

Lloyd's Register is a global organization dedicated to research and education in science and engineering since 1760 with operations in 78 countries.

For more information about Lloyd's Register, visit www.lr.org

CoreLite Board is awarded Certificate of Material Excellence

Thu, 15 Sep 2016 01:34:52 +0000

CoreLite proudly announces that its CoreLite Board product has been awarded the distinguished Certificate of Material Excellence by Material ConneXion.

This certification recognizes that CoreLite Board was voted and accepted into Material ConneXion's permanent collection by a team of world-class material scientists and specialists as an innovative and creative solution in the world of design, product development, and all related fields.

Material ConneXion is the world's largest Materials Library, with seven full-service locations worldwide. The Materials Library is the largest collection of advanced, innovative and sustainable materials and processes in the world. The archive features more than 7,000 cutting-edge materials in eight distinct categories. CoreLite Board is featured in the Polymers section.

Elsa Axelsdottir, Innovation Manager at CoreLite, commented "We are very proud to be included in such a prestigious materials library and pleased that our innovative material and industry leading quality have been recognized. Our wide variety of product configurations and unique properties are revolutionizing many industries and we are very excited to discover novel applications for CoreLite Board".

Learn more about Material ConneXion at: www.materialconnexion.com

The honeycomb buzz

Wed, 22 Jun 2016 21:50:31 +0000

From aircrafts to boats, honeycombs find themselves in the mix of core materials. It has actually become one of the most popular structural cores in the composites industry. But, have you ever wondered where it came from?

The answer: nature. We got this idea from the mathematical genius of the honey bee!

A honeycomb is an array of hexagonal tubes that fit together perfectly. The bee builds the honeycomb to store its honey and this design allows it to withstand the greatest amount of weight while using the least amount of material.

The honeycomb structure is also known for its high compression and shear strength properties, making it a very light and strong material. It’s no wonder it is so highly sought after for use in high performance applications.

Many man-made honeycomb cores exist on the market, but nature actually makes its own honeycomb core: balsa wood. Balsa wood is composed of a micro-honeycomb structure that acts just like the honeycomb structures discussed above. It possess high compression and shear strength properties making it a major player in the core industry.

Several man-made honeycomb cores have tried to replace balsa wood core, but without luck. Balsa wood is a renewable resource, is cost effective, and with such high mechanical properties, it’s likely that this eco-friendly material will continue to be used as a core for a long time to come.

Structures in nature have found miraculous ways to harness efficiency, and honeycombs are no exception. So when looking for ways to innovate materials, perhaps we need not look further than right outside our windows.

CoreLite Introduces PC11 Coating for BALSASUD Balsa Core

Mon, 06 Jan 2014 19:14:16 +0000

CoreLite, Inc., Miami, FL, announced the introduction of BALSASUD PC11, a new balsa core product with a proprietary surface coating engineered for resin infusion, vacuum bagging, pre-pregs, and wet layup.

The proprietary polymer coating, under development for over a year, reduces resin absorption in the core while improving resin adhesion and bond strength in sandwich construction. PC11 is compatible with polyester, vinyl ester, and epoxy resin systems.

The increased bond strength comes with substantial resin and labor savings. By sealing the surface of the balsa core, PC11 eliminates the need to pre-wet, or “prime” the core with resin prior to laminating, reducing resin use and labor costs. The sealed surface also promotes more efficient resin flow in vacuum bagging and infusion processes.

PC11 joins BALSASUD SG (Standard Grade,) PG (Pith Grade,)and CoreLite Board in the CoreLite product line.

CoreLite Board is a cost-effective, closed-cell PVC foam specially formulated to provide high physical properties. It is engineered to meet the physical demands required for use in transoms, attachment points, floors, bulkheads, stringers, local reinforcement points, molds and tooling. CoreLite Board is a stand-alone product and can be used with our without composite skins as a direct replacement for wood and plywood. It has excellent fastener pullout strength and high flexural strength and stiffness and is 27% lighter than plywood.

BALSASUD balsa is grown, harvested and milled in Ecuador. The BALSASUD product line is vertically integrated– they own their own plantations and control production from harvesting to final processing. The BALSASUD S.A.facility in Ecuador has been FSC™ (Forest Stewardship Council™) certified by the Rainforest Alliance according to FSC Chain of Custody standards.

Final processing into finished core materials is done atCoreLite’s Miami facility, the newest balsa production facility in NorthAmerica. New coating equipment has been installed to apply PC11 coating. Controlling production from forest to end-user assures BALSASUD customers the highest quality balsa core products available today.

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.