VET Special Products: Innovative in Polyester Technology!
VET Special Products is a manufacturer of complex components for bodywork construction. Our specialty lies in the housing of fire truck load beds, complete with fire extinguishing fluid tanks (a large one for water, a small one for chemical additives or foam), pump rooms, equipment enclosures, and a personnel compartment. Another focus area is the bodies of crash tenders in various configurations; crash tenders are fire vehicles used at airports.
Our products are characterized by their: dimensional stability, lightweight nature, weather resistance, chemical resistance, durability, long lifespan (up to 70 years is not uncommon), paintable surface, and ease of repair after incidents. Originating from applications such as gliders and defense applications since around 1950, our products have also been used in facade construction.
Our customers install VET products onto a chassis and assemble them into a usable and deployable vehicle. VET Special Products does not sell complete vehicles to customers.
What makes the construction of VET Special Products so strong?
Composite materials consist of a plastic resin, which, with the inclusion of fiberglass mats, packets, and hardening agents, forms a strong structure. There’s some similarity to concrete: sand, cement, and water make concrete, but adding a steel mesh turns it into a unified structure with the maximum desired strength and rigidity. In composites, the fiberglass mat acts like the steel mesh.
Where vacuum infusion technology in composites makes the difference
By utilizing a patented production system with vacuum infusion, VET Special Products can effectively control and manage quality. The main reason for using this system is to optimize the fiberglass-resin ratio compared to conventional methods. It’s crucial to merge as much fiberglass mat as possible with the least amount of resin, yet maintaining the correct proportions and ensuring compatibility when cured. This results in a relatively lightweight structure, essential for fire vehicles that need to accelerate quickly with a low center of gravity. Every kilogram saved counts!
Environmentally friendly innovation: improving sustainability in polyester production
The vacuum system reduces the emission of styrene, the solvent in polyester resin, by approximately 65% compared to conventional polyester production systems, offering significant advantages in terms of workplace safety and environmental impact. Due to the higher fiberglass content in the final product compared to conventional methods, less raw material and a thinner layer are needed to achieve the same strength and stiffness. Additionally, it has been proven in practice that a body component lasts for 2 to 3 truck lifecycles. This is achieved by overhauling pumps and technology, cleaning the body component, and reinstalling it onto a new truck chassis. Besides environmental benefits (reuse), this approach is also financially attractive.
VET Special Products invites you to discuss your product ideas together. Discover how our expertise can contribute to your new or improved products.
Written by: Toon Wijnand
