Why Is Tex Important for Choosing Roving for FRP?

Understanding What Tex Means for FRP Roving  

Let’s talk about Tex in relation to Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) roving. Tex indicates the linear mass density of fibers, in which case, it tells you the weight of a specific length of the roving. This measurement tells you how the roving will perform when used in a final product for FRP applications.  

The performance of the FRP relies on the roving selected for it and the Tex value helps to narrow down the options. For instance, a lower Tex value means the roving will be lighter and finer, while a heavier and thicker roving will be indicated by a higher Tex value. This helps to avoid selecting roving that is too weak to carry the weight of the FRP or too heavy to observe the design’s weight restriction.

How Tex Impacts the Strength and Durability of FRP

Tex affects the strength and durability of the final FRP product. Strength and durability are critical in the transportation, aerospace, and infrastructure industries. Heavier roving (higher Tex) means more fiber mass is compressed into a given length. This results in greater tensile strength and greater impact resistance, which is ideal for FRP parts designed for heavy load bearing, like structural pieces in infrastructure and load-bearing transportation parts. 

In contrast, lighter roving (lower Tex) provides weaker raw strength and is more suited to applications that prioritize flexibility and ease of finishing, like decorative FRP parts or components in electrical and electronic systems where lightweight construction is crucial. Selecting an inappropriate Tex in either case can produce FRP parts that crack under tension and fail to achieve intended long-term durability. This results in a waste of time and money.

Tex and Efficiency in FRP Manufacturing

Tex has great importance in FRP manufacturing process efficiencies. Each manufacturing systems has its own optimum settings, whether it’s hand lay-up, filament winding, or pultrusion. Each has its own ideal range during roving Tex, operate outside of slow down processes, and cause material misuse.

Filament winding, for example, is great for big FRP structures like chemical tanks. It is best for roving of medium Tex, and of consistent medium to high range. If it uses low Tex roving, then it is going to take many layers and increase manufacturing time substantially to achieve the roving thickest needed in the process. If the Tex is roving is high passing it will difficult to control the winding which will cause the roving to be uneven. This will lead to defects. This will lead to production inefficiencies which will increase production costs and reduce the quality of the FRP product.

Different FRP apps need different Tex levels, and failure to match those levels will cause even high-quality roving to underperform. Common industries that use FRP include:  

Aerospace focuses on weight reduction and strengthening parts. FRP parts use roving with moderate Tex to provide enough structural integrity without adding too much weight. When it comes to building materials, including FRP panels, a balanced Tex is best as it will provide a fair combination of durability and ease of installation.   

The chemical field is no different with FRP tanks and pipes. Here, roving needs to be higher Tex to handle chemical stress over time and resist corrosion. Even sports leisure, including FRP kayaks or golf club shafts, rely on matching Tex. For kayaks, higher Tex is crucial to resist impact, while golf shafts are best with lower Tex to enhance flexibility and lightweight performance.

Avoiding Common Tex-Related Mistakes in FRP Roving Selection  

One common mistake when selecting FRP roving is to choose only based on cost or brand and completely ignoring Tex. Some people choose lower-Tex roving to save on costs. They forget that though it costs less up front more will be spent on materials and labor when additional layers are added to meet strength requirements. Others choose a roving that is too high-Tex thinking “stronger is better.” Unfortunately it will be too bulky for the design wasting the roving and causing delays to the project.  

Another common mistake is thinking one Tex is suitable for all applications. For example a roving that is perfect for an electrical insulator will not work for a transportation structural part. The insulator needs lower Tex for lightweight insulation and the structural part needs higher Tex for strength. By placing Tex as the most prioritised variable you will avoid these issues and ensure your selection matches the FRP project’s technical requirements along with practical requirements.