Filament winding consists
of winding resin impregnated fibers or
rovings of glass, aramid, or carbon on
a rotating mandrel in predetermined patterns.
The method provides the greatest control
over fiber placement and uniformity of
structure. In the wet method, the fiber
picks up the low viscosity resin either
by passing through a trough or from a
metered application system. In the dry
method, the reinforcement is in the preimpregnated
form. After the layers are wound, the
component is cured and removed from the
mandrel. Traditionally used to produce
pressure vessels, rocket motor cases,
tanks, ducting, golf club shafts and fishing
rods, filament winding technology has
been expanded, and noncylindreical, nonspherical
composite parts are now commonplace. Typical
thermoset resins used in filament wound
parts include polyesters, vinyl esters,
epoxies, and phenolics.
