Polyestershoppen is a specialist supplier of reinforcement fabrics. In addition to an extensive range of woven glass cloths and glass mats, you will also find various mulitaxial glass fabrics in our webshop. In this article you can read all about the different glass fabrics and the advantages they offer compared to regular glass mats and fabrics.
Glass fabric is also called mulitaxial glass fibre reinforcement. It is a high-quality alternative to traditional woven glass cloth. The major difference between glass fabric and woven glass cloth is that the fibres in glass fabric are not woven, but consist of multiple layers of glass fibres that are aligned in different directions and bonded to each other. In contrast to woven glass cloth, where the fibres cross each other and form a 'wave pattern', the fibres in mulitaxial glass fabric are straighter, stronger and therefore stiffer under tension. As a result, the tensile strength of glass fabric is considerably higher than woven glass cloth.
Mulitaxial glass fabrics usually have an angular fibre orientation. A commonly used type is biaxial glass fabric, where the fibres are connected to each other at an angle of +/- 45°, for example. This structure makes glass fabric particularly suitable for processing in a laminate, which improves the strength in different directions. It is also possible to combine glass fabric in a laminate with a fabric, in order to improve the tensile strength in a certain direction.
Due to the specific properties of glass fabrics, they are often used in the following industries:
Of course, you can also use glass fabrics for your DIY projects!
| Glass fabric | Woven glass cloth |
| Glass fibres are laid in a certain direction | Glass fibres are woven in a certain pattern |
| High tensile strength | Average tensile strength |
| Low resin absorption | Average resin absorption |
| Wide choice in fibre direction (tensile direction) | Standard fibre direction |
| Weight up to 1200 gr/m2 | Weight up to 800 gr/m2 |
At Polyestershoppen we offer different types of mulitaxial glass fabrics. Each type of has its own fibre direction, which makes it suitable for specific applications.
Unidirectional glass fabric consists of fibres that are all laid in one direction. The fabric is connected lengthwise by a small amount of glass fibres and stitching threads. This type of fabric offers excellent tensile strength in that specific direction, making it ideal for applications where forces act primarily in one direction. For example, it is often used in industrial applications and in the construction of wind turbines.
Biaxial glass fabric has glass fibres laid in two directions, usually at 45° angles to each other. This type provides reinforcement in two directions, which is why this type of glass fabric is often used in the industrial sector, automotive sector, construction of wind turbines or the reinforcement of a mast.
Square glass fabric consists of two layers of unidirectional fibres: one in the length direction (0°) and one in the width direction (90°) of the roll.
Triaxial glass fabric has fibres bonded together in three directions, usually at angles of 0°, +45°, and -45°. This provides even more versatility and multi-directional reinforcement. Triaxial glass fabric is widely used in the sports, wind, and marine industries.
Quadraxial glass fabric is the most advanced type of glass fabric and contains fibres that are laid in four different directions: 0°, +45°, -45°, and 90°. This type offers maximum reinforcement in all directions. For this reason, this glass fabric is also called "quasi isotropic". This glass fabric is often used in the sports, industrial and maritime sectors.
In the table below you will find the resin absorption and layer thickness per glass fibre fabric. The heavier the fibres, the higher the layer thickness, but also the resin consumption. You will therefore need more resin for heavier glass fabrics.
Mulitaxial glass fabrics can be processed in various ways, via manual lamination (Hand Lay-up) or via a vacuum technique (Wet Bagging or Vacuum Injection). The hand lay-up method is the easiest way to laminate glass fabrics, but as you can see in the overview, the resin consumption and layer thickness are a lot less compared to the Wet Bagging and Resin Infusion method. For the best results, we therefore recommend using a vacuum technique.
| 400 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.51 mm | 0.37 mm | 0.36 mm |
| Resin consumption | 332 gr/m2 | 194 gr/m2 | 179 gr/m2 |
| 640 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.72 mm | 0.52 mm | 0.50 mm |
| Resin consumption | 466 gr/m2 | 272 gr/m2 | 251 gr/m2 |
| 250 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.34 mm | 0.21 mm | 0.20 mm |
| Resin consumption | 235 gr/m2 | 109 gr/m2 | 101 gr/m2 |
| 450 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.59 mm | 0.37 mm | 0.36 mm |
| Resin consumption | 415 gr/m2 | 193 gr/m2 | 198 gr/m2 |
| 600 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.78 mm | 0.49 mm | 0.47 mm |
| Resin consumption | 549 gr/m2 | 255 gr/m2 | 235 gr/m2 |
| 400 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.53 mm | 0.37 mm | 0.35 mm |
| Resin consumption | 370 gr/m2 | 210 gr/m2 | 194 gr/m2 |
| 600 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.78 mm | 0.55 mm | 0.52 mm |
| Resin consumption | 549 gr/m2 | 312 gr/m2 | 288 gr/m2 |
| 400 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.53 mm | 0.37 mm | 0.36 mm |
| Resin consumption | 373 gr/m2 | 212 gr/m2 | 288 gr/m2 |
| 600 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.78 mm | 0.55 mm | 0.52 mm |
| Resin consumption | 549 gr/m2 | 312 gr/m2 | 288 gr/m2 |
| 600 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 0.78 mm | 0.55 mm | 0.52 mm |
| Resin consumption | 549 gr/m2 | 312 gr/m2 | 288 gr/m2 |
| 1200 gr/m2 | Hand Lay-up | Wet Bagging | Resin Infusion |
| Layer thickness | 1.55 mm | 1.08 mm | 1.04 mm |
| Resin consumption | 1088 gr/m2 | 618 gr/m2 | 570 gr/m2 |
All glass fabrics discussed in this article can be easily ordered from Polyestershoppen.com. The fabrics are delivered from stock, so you can quickly get started on your project. The glass fabrics are carefully tailored and are neatly packed in a sturdy cardboard tube. This way, the glass fabric is not damaged during transport and you can get started without any worries! In addition to the mulitaxial glass fabric, you can of course also buy high-quality epoxy, polyester and vinylester resin systems and the necessary auxiliary materials at polyestershoppen.
Do you have any questions about the mulitaxial glass fabrics from the Polyestershoppen range? Please feel free to contact our specialists via email, WhatsApp of telephone. We'd be happy to give you personal advice about your project!
Do you have a specific question? Call one of our specialists for free advice +3185 0220090
