Resin infusion – also known as vacuum infusion – is an advanced process for manufacturing composite materials. It involves placing dry reinforcement (like fiberglass or carbon fiber) in a mold, covering it with a vacuum bag, and then using vacuum pressure to draw liquid resin through the fibers. The result is a strong, lightweight, and high-quality composite part, as the vacuum ensures the resin thoroughly wets out the fibers without trapping air bubbles. This technique has gained prominence across industries – from aerospace and automotive to marine, wind energy, construction, sports & leisure, industrial equipment, and transportation – because it produces parts with excellent structural integrity and optimized weight.

Conwed™ Flow Media is an extruded netting specifically engineered to enhance the resin infusion process. As a leading manufacturer of extruded netting (a Mativ brand), Conwed provides a high-performance resin flow media that sits on top of the fiber layup inside the vacuum bag. This flow media creates fast-flowing channels for the resin and ensures uniform infusion across the entire part. In practical terms, Conwed’s Naltex™ extruded netting acts as a resin distribution medium, helping composite manufacturers infuse parts faster, with less resin waste, and with greater consistency. It’s used in demanding applications ranging from wind turbine blades and aircraft components to automotive body panels and boat hulls, where quality and efficiency are paramount.

Key Benefits of Conwed in the Resin Infusion Process:

• Improved Material Properties: Infusion yields composites with high fiber content and low void content, translating to strong, lightweight parts. The controlled impregnation makes parts structurally robust yet light, meeting stringent performance demands in aerospace, racing, etc..
• Cost and Waste Reduction: Because resin is pulled in only as needed, there’s minimal excess. Resin infusion uses a precise amount of resin, reducing material waste compared to hand lay-up or open molding. (Excess resin stays in feed lines and flow media, not in the part.)
• Better Consistency and Quality: Vacuum pressure distributes resin evenly, so complex or large parts get uniform resin saturation. This consistency reduces the risk of dry spots or air voids, improving part quality and reducing rejects.
• Cleaner, Safer Operation: It’s a closed process – fumes are contained, and workers have less direct contact with resin. This makes for a more environmentally friendly and worker-friendly setup.
• Large and Complex Parts: Infusion is ideal for very large components (e.g. wind turbine blades over 50 m, boat hulls) where hand lay-up would be challenging. The vacuum-driven flow can cover big areas and complex shapes reliably. 
• Cost-Effective Tooling: Unlike some high-pressure molding methods, vacuum infusion uses relatively simple molds and vacuum equipment. This lowers tooling costs and makes advanced composites manufacturing accessible for many applications. 
• Use of High-Viscosity or Slow Curing Resins: Infusion allows using resins that might be too thick for other processes, since the vacuum can still draw them in. Manufacturers can choose resins with longer working times or special properties and still fully wet out the fibers.

Conwed™ Flow Media – Optimizing the Infusion Process:

While resin infusion is powerful, it relies on a good flow distribution medium to work best. Conwed™ Flow Media is a specialized extruded plastic netting (Naltex™ diamond mesh) designed exactly for this purpose. It is placed on the part during layup to ensure resin quickly and evenly permeates every corner of the fiber reinforcement.

What makes Conwed’s flow media special? Unlike some traditional flow meshes (often woven fabrics), Conwed’s product is extruded – not woven. This gives it unique advantages for manufacturers:

• Up to 15% Less Resin WasteConwed’s optimized mesh geometry retains up to 15% less resin than leading traditional flow media. Less resin held in the mesh means more resin ends up in your part and less is wasted, directly translating to material cost savings and lighter final components.
• Faster, Uniform Resin Flow
  The bi-planar diamond net design creates consistent channels that speed up resin infusion across the entire layup. This ensures quick, even wet-out of the fibers, shortening fill times and mold cycle times. Manufacturers see improved production efficiency and can use higher-viscosity resins without issue.
• No Fraying or Fiber Shedding
  Being extruded plastic, Conwed’s netting will not unravel or shed fibers the way woven flow mats can. There are no loose strands to contaminate the laminate. This also means cleaner handling and no risk of stray fibers causing defects or equipment issues.
• Flexible, Bag-Safe Edges
  The flow media’s edges are engineered to be smooth and flexible, preventing the sharp edge issues of some meshes. They protect sensitive vacuum bags and peel-ply from tearing during lay-up and vacuum draw. You get a reliable infusion without bag punctures or resin leaks at the edges.