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Fiberglass sheets are an excellent choice for refrigerated truck bodies due to their combination of lightweight properties, durability, and insulation capabilities. When used in refrigerated trucks, fiberglass helps maintain temperature control while ensuring the structure can handle the demands of cold storage transport.
Advantages of Fiberglass Sheets for Refrigerated Trucks
- Thermal insulation
Fiberglass sheets are used as part of a sandwich panel structure (fiberglass is combined with an insulating material such as foam) to provide excellent insulation. This is critical for refrigerated trucks because it helps maintain the desired temperature within the cargo hold, reducing energy consumption and preventing deterioration.
- Lightweight & High Strength
Fiberglass sheets are known for their strength and impact resistance. Compared to metal alternatives such as aluminum or steel, fiberglass sheets are lightweight. This greatly reduces the weight of the truck, increasing its payload and enabling it to carry more cargo.
- Weatherproof & Durable
Fiberglass sheets are highly resistant to corrosion caused by moisture, salt, and chemicals. This is especially important for refrigerated trucks exposed to cold, wet, or humid conditions, especially when transporting cargo that may require frequent unloading and cleaning. It will not rust or corrode over time, ensuring that the truck’s exterior remains intact and operational for a long time.
- Hygiene and Cleanliness
The smooth, non-porous surface of fiberglass sheets makes them easy to clean and disinfect, and they resist bacterial growth, mold and mildew, which is critical in refrigerated transportation, especially for sensitive cargo such as food and pharmaceuticals.
Gelcoat FRP Sheets
It is a thermosetting composite of fiberglass mat or fabric and resin (usually unsaturated polyester) coated with a waterproof gel coat. Gel coat is a special durable resin layer applied to the surface of the FRP for both aesthetic and practical purposes. MORE
New Fiberglass Sheets – CFRT
In a broad sense, the fiberglass sheets used in refrigerated trucks are thermosetting. In recent years, with the market’s pursuit of lightweight and sustainable development, TOPOLOGROUP, as a professional fiberglass sheet manufacturer, has developed a new type of fiberglass sheet – continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic (CFRT). This new material has more excellent mechanical properties, surpassing thermosetting fiberglass sheets in tension, compression, bending, torsion, impact, alternating stress, etc. It is favored by more and more refrigerated truck manufacturers. MORE
FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) VS CFRT (Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic
| Property | FRP (Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic) | CFRT (Continuous Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastic) |
| Composition | Fiberglass + thermosetting resin | Continuous fibers +thermoplastic resin |
| Strength | Good, varies with resin type and fiber content | Superior, continuous fibers provide high tensile strength and stiffness |
| Impact Resistance | Good, but may crack or fracture under heavy impact | Excellent, better impact resistance. |
| Stiffness | Moderate, depends on fiber content | High stiffness. |
| Temperature Resistance | Moderate, can degrade at higher temperatures (depends on resin type) | Moderate, can degrade at higher temperatures (depends on resin type) |
| Processing Flexibility | Limited by thermosetting curing (once set, cannot be reshaped) | Excellent, thermoplastic matrices can be reheated and reshaped multipletimes |
| Durability | Good resistance to corrosion, but can degrade over time (e.g., UV, moisture) | Very durable, excellent resistance to chemicals, UV, and impact |
| Weight | Heavier than CFRT due to thermosetting resin | Lighter, continuous fibers provide abetter strength-to-weight ratio |
| Cost | Higher cost due to manufacturing process | More affordable, lower manufacturing cost |
| Recyclability | Limited, difficult to recycle due to thermosetting nature | High recyclability, thermoplastic matrices can be melted and reformed |
| Surface treatment | FRP panels are available in a variety of surface colors and treatments, including smooth and textured surfaces. | Surface protection film (usually white glossy or matte) |
Should I choose FRP or CFRT?
Through the above comparison, we know that FRP provides a smoother and flatter surface, while CFRT provides more reliable mechanical properties and is affordable. The sandwich panels of refrigerated truck bodies can be double-sided FRP, double-sided CFRT, or one side FRP and the other side CFRT, depending on the different performance requirements of refrigerated trucks.
Contact us to learn more about our refrigerated truck body solutions.