ISO 1268-5:2001

Overview

ISO 1268-5:2001 - "Fibre-reinforced plastics - Methods of producing test plates - Part 5: Filament winding" specifies a standardized method for producing unidirectional test plates by the filament‑winding process. It covers production using textile glass rovings impregnated with thermoset resins (prepregs excluded) under controlled industrial conditions so that specimens cut from the plates give reproducible mechanical test results. The part is intended to be read with ISO 1268-1 (General conditions).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Materials
  • Applies to glass rovings with linear density between ~200 tex and 4 800 tex (combine several rovings for lower densities).
  • Thermoset resin systems (polyester or epoxy recommended) with viscosity < 0.4 Pa·s at winding temperature and sufficient pot life so viscosity rises < 40% by end of winding.
  • Typical laminate glass content: ~70% by mass (≈52% by volume for resin density 1.2 g/cm³).
• Winding parameters and machine
  • Roving speed recommended: 5–15 m/min (chosen to complete winding within resin pot life).
  • Winding pitch examples in Annex A: typical range 0.5–4 mm; examples given for parameters yielding ~3 mm plates.
  • Machine capabilities: spindle speed variable up to ~70 r/min; tension control (0–15 N) and pitch adjustment; optional radiant panel to control former temperature.
• Impregnation and tooling
  • Acceptable impregnation devices: double‑wall impregnating bath (temperature‑regulated) or impregnating roller with doctor blade; details and alternatives must be reported.
  • Former design: flat former with outer‑mould pieces to define thickness; silicone‑rubber end seals to prevent resin loss.
  • Curing: press with heated platens (minimum force ~20 kN) or oven with clamped mould pieces; post‑cure allowed.
• Verification and quality
  • Fibre content verification per ISO 1268‑1; deviation from specified fibre content shall not exceed 2%.
  • Visual inspection for impregnation, dimensional checks (min plate size 300 × 220 mm), and void content assessment.
• Documentation
  • A Test Plate Preparation Report must record materials, winding pitch and layers, impregnation method, temperatures, speeds, curing method, dimensions, fibre/filler contents and any deviations.

Applications and users

• Used by composite manufacturers, materials laboratories, R&D teams and test houses to produce consistent test plates for mechanical characterization (tensile, flexural, interlaminar, etc.).
• Valuable for quality control, material qualification, supplier validation, and structural design data generation where filament winding is the manufacturing route.
• Helps ensure comparability of test data across suppliers and certification bodies.

Related standards

• ISO 1268-1 (General conditions) - normative reference.
• ISO 1268 series covers other molding processes (spray-up, pultrusion, RTM, prepregs, SMC/BMC).