Finding any kind of reliable information is difficult at the best of times, especially when you are trying to find this information on the internet. Quite often, peoples own opinions overshadow the cold hard facts of the situation. Debates come up all the time when the opinion of an individual differs from that of another. From Sports to cooking, parenting to politics, people form their own opinion and will then argue with anyone who has decides differently.
This is especially true in the automotive industry. A quick look at any 4x4 forum or review will show you how wide and diverse people’s opinions are on what is best for their needs.
We will talk some advantages of Fiberglass over ABS Plastic and in doing so, not only convince you that fiberglass truly is the better option, but do so hopefully without ruffling anyone’s feathers.
ABS Plastic is actually the synthetic compound Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene….but we aren’t all chemists so let’s break it down to layman’s terms.
ABS plastic is found in many different everyday items including canoes, drainage systems, and LEGO™ bricks. ABS Plastic is a flexible material for manufacturing because it is lightweight and fairly strong. Due to its ability to be injection moulded it can be made into a wide variety of products of good quality however lacks the ability to be moulded into more complex designs. Depending on the manufacturing process ABS Plastic can be made stronger or more resistant to heat. One downside to ABS Plastic is that once damaged, it is mostly irreparable.
The manufacturing process that adds strength makes the plastic more vulnerable to heat. Therefore making the plastic more resistant to heat, Severely reduces its strength.
Fiberglass in the application of Ute Canopies and Ute Lids, is actually glass-reinforced plastic. It is created from sheets of woven glass fibres laid over a mould. A resin polymer is applied and the product is cured. The result is a product that is lightweight and heat resistant. Not only that, but the glass fibres make the product much stronger than ABS Plastic.
In the automotive realm and especially in the world of 4WD, having parts that are extremely durable and lightweight aren’t a luxury, they are a necessity. Durability is great but damage and accidents do happen. In this area fiberglass undeniably outclasses ABS Plastic as Fibreglass can be repaired easily and at a relatively low cost..
When making any sort of purchase you want to be sure that you buy the highest quality possible. We chose to use fibreglass on our canopies for many reasons but some of our main reasons are because we are able to produce a strong and lightweight product, moulded and styled to perfectly suit a vehicles existing style. By producing a double skinned fibreglass construction we are creating a highly insulated product that is resistant to heat penetration whilst still being lightweight.
Both ABS Plastic canopies and Fiberglass canopies have their strengths. Reviews, comments and debates abound as to which is better.
Here at PJ’s 4x4 we believe Fiberglass to be the best choice for Canopies and Ute Lids but in the end, the choice is yours
