Abstract: A new cladding panel for use on recreational vehicles is produced by either a hand-laid or vacuum infusion process. In the hand-laid method, the cladding is formed by first introducing and curing a layer of gel coat onto a mold surface. Layers of fiber reinforced resin material are subsequently laid onto the gel coating and molded to form the cladding panel. In the vacuum infusion process, the gel coating is first laid onto a mold surface of a vacuum infusion mold, and then dry ply materials are laid onto the gel coating. The mold is closed and a resin component is infused into the dry laminate material under vacuum pressure and cured. The cladding panels produced by these methods produced are seamless and have limited waste associated with post-production trimming processes. Cladding panels produced using the vacuum infusion process have a more consistent composition and achieve improved part-to-part consistency.

Abstract: A new cladding panel for use on recreational vehicles is produced by either a hand-laid or vacuum infusion process. In hand-laid method, the cladding is formed by first introducing and curing a layer of gel coat onto a mold surface. Layers of fiber reinforced resin material are subsequently laid onto the gel coating and molded to form the cladding panel. In the vacuum infusion process, the gel coating is first laid onto a mold surface of a vacuum infusion mold, and then a dry ply materials are laid onto the gel coating. The mold is closed and a resin component is infused into the dry laminate material under vacuum pressure and cured. The cladding panels produced by these methods produced are seamless and have limited waste associated with post-production trimming processes. Cladding panels produced using the vacuum infusion process have a more consistent composition and achieve improved part-to-part consistency.