Airglas Engineering Company of Anchorage, Alaska, is a leading supplier of skis that are used for landing in deep snow and on glaciers. A new generation of Airglas skis for light aircraft is an excellent example of how innovative design and superior materials combine to produce exceptional performance and dependability.
Although the designs were successful, there were problems with materials and the production process. "We were using wet lay-up fiberglass, but it was very labor intensive and difficult to work with in terms of emissions and dealing with scrap," said Gary Landes, vice president of Airglas. Looking to replace reinforced vinylester with a more effective and environmentally friendly material, he turned to Saint-Gobain Vetrotex America.
Together they investigated using Twintex, a thermoplastic textile composite consisting of direct glass filaments and commingled thermoplastic composites. The material is lightweight and offers very high strength and impact resistance. "Impact absorption is very important because these skis take a lot of abuse," said Landes. In contrast to the vinylester that was previously used, the Twintex material is a thermoplastic. Thus, it can be readily recycled and produces no harmful emissions. "This is easier on the environment and on the workers," said Landes.
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