FiberCore and Orenco Composites have signed an agreement to license the application of InfraCore technology – a polymer used in the construction of bridges, ships and offshore wind energy projects – in the U.S.
This collaboration provides opportunities for both companies. Orenco will not only increase its market share in the U.S., but with its knowledge of the engineering and production of large composite products, will also grow the InfraCore technology.
“The InfraCore technology has successfully solved one of the major challenges of the fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) community. The construction contains no internal glues or bolted connections,” says Simon de Jong, co-founder and CEO of FiberCore.
“The strength comes entirely from the fibers, which themselves are much stronger than steel. Besides bridges and lock gates, our technology is used today in ship construction and offshore wind energy projects. Our cooperation with Orenco shows yet another application of our technologies.”
InfraCore technology is developed and patented by FiberCore and has been proven in more than 1,000 heavy-traffic bridges and lock gates worldwide. InfraCore technology offers a standardized and modular structural approach. This enables the realization of proven and validated cost-effective FRP structures that are easily scalable, lightweight, durable, maintenance-free, heavy-duty, damage-tolerant and load-bearing.
Orenco Composites uses filament winding and two types of closed-molding processes – resin transfer molding (RTM) and vacuum infusion – to produce FRP composite parts. The company has taken the fiberglass technology developed for wastewater markets and created buildings, basins, tanks and enclosures for telecommunications, utilities, railroad, aviation, food and other industries.
FiberCore is now developing and marketing new cross-sector product-market combinations based on InfraCore, in collaboration with strategic partners in the constructive maritime, offshore, oil and gas, energy and other industries worldwide.
Photo: The Orenco Composites factory in Sutherlin, Ore.
