"Process of Manufacturing Trophies, Medals and Award Plates, Made of Polyester, Estervinylic or Epoxy Resins, Reinforced with Fiberglass". The present patent refers to the process of manufacturing the laminate in plain, spherical, cylindrical or another geometrical form, that is useful as basic raw material to manufacturate trophies, medals, award plates, indicative plates, panels, et al, being obtained by means of the insertion of polychromies containing characters, pictures, photographies, graphs, signatures, et al; made in transparencies, papers, cloths, plastics, wood, metals, leather, et al; generated by computer, manually, or by any other kind of printing; in the lamination of polyester, estervinylic or epoxy resins, reinforced with fiberglass.

The polyester, estervinylic or epoxy resins, reinforced with fiberglass, have nowadays too many applications in industries. Because they provide high mechanical properties, lightness, high dieletrical rigidness, dimensional stability, corrosion resistence, an simple molds with low maintenance cost, these fiberglass reinforced resins are applicated basically in: general structures, automotive, bodywork, boats, surfboards, tables, chairs, water containers, tanks, vans, automotive and industrial parts, et al. However, it's noticed that, given the versatility of these resins and the easiness to manufacturing them by the mold process, even by manually lamination, hand-held gun lamination, rolling, pultrusion, injection molding, presses, RTM, et al, the objective of their use has been: after the cure or polymerization of the rein, to get a piece in its final dimension, in other words, a finished piece. To improve the visual finishing of this piece, normally are used the resin pigmentation processes or even the traditional superficial painting. In special cases, by means of rolling process, tubes and cylinders are produced which once manufactored shall produce wads for application in machines. In the field of art manufacturing, it's noticed some utilization of the pure resin, without fiberglass reinforcement, applicated as superficial finishing in pieces like jewelleries, et al, nevertheless without insertion of these objects inside the resin.

With the purpose of enlarging the utilization field of the polyester, estervinylic or epoxy resins, reinforced with fiberglass, nor for the obtention of a final product after the polymerization of the resin, neither to obtain a simple supefficial finishing, but to obtain a inviolately involucre of resin and fiberglass in

polychromies, from which there will be manufacturated products like trophies, medals, award plates, indicative plates, panels, et al, it was developed the present manufacturing process. By means of insertion of polychromies in transparencies, papers, cloths, plastics, wood, metals, leather, et al; containing characters, drawings, paintings, pictures, photographies, signatures, et al; generated by computer, manually or by any other kind of printing; in the lamination of polyester, estervinylic or epoxy resins, reinforced with fiberglass, are obtained plates in plain, spherical, cylindrical or any other geometrical form that, cut out, glued, rivette or assemble will originate trophies, medals, award plates, indicative plates, panels, et al.

The process in question consists on the following stages: (a) cleaning of the glassy surface or polished base, that must be totally dried, (b) application of a organic alchool in four or five transverse layers, (c) drying of the surface, (d) initial application of a first catalyse resin layer over the dried alchool layer, (e) a wait for the attaining the touch point, ( application of two other catalyse resin layers, (g) placing the fiberglass in woven forms, textile forms, or roving forms, rouletting it until when the fiberglass is totally absorbe by the resin and there are no more airbubbles, (h) placing the polychromies with their faces turned to the base, (i) <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> application of another catalyse resin layer, spreading it well, 0) placing the cloth on the plate and the polychromies, (k) new application of a catalyse resin layer, (I) placing the fiberglass in woven forms, textile forms, or roving forms, (m) placing the plastic film, stret alhed and pressed on the laminate, (n) roulleting the laminate with a cylinder or pipe, from center to border, until expelling all airbubbles, (o) allow the joint to polymerize for, at least, twenty-four hours and, finally, dismold, cut out and finish the pieces.

The present manufacturing process can be better understood through the detailing below, where will be taken, just as an example, and without any limitative character, the insertion of a transparency with polychromies in a plain laminate of polyester resin with woven forms fiberglass application.

Raw materials: polyester resin, reference (#) 10203, from Resana; polyvinylic alchool; woven forms 300g/m2 fiberglass; MEK M-50 catalyser; styrenics monomer; white microfiber peach skin twill cloth; cellophane film.

Mixtures to be done: mix up the polyvinylic alchool with water, at 50%; put 4,5% of the styrenics in the polyester resin and mix it up; at the moment of

its usage, put 0,7% of MEK M-50 catalyser to the polyester resin, mixing it up quite well.

Process Detailing: On the well cleaned and dried glass or polished base, apply the polyvinylic alcool, in four or five transverse layers, using nylon sponge. Allow it to dry naturally in a 60°C stewpot for 30 minutes, verifying if the surface does not have faults. On the polyvinylic alcool, apply a first layer of catalyse resin at the rate of 400mI/m2. A wait about 1.5 hour until this layer attains the touch point, in other words, until this layer is stick) but not clinging to fingers. When it is at the touch point, apply a layer of catalyse polyester resin using a brush, at the rate of 150ml/m2. Brush it over quite well in all directions. Afterwards, scatter a layer of catalyse resin at the rate of 1600 ml/m2 on the glass or polished base. Place the woven forms 300g/m2 fiberglass on the resin and roulette it using a specific roulette for lamination, until the resin absorb totally the woven forms 300g/m2 fiberglass and there are not airbubbles anymore. Place the transparency with polychromies faced to the base. The transparency must to be cut off pretty close to the polychromies. On the polychromies, place a layer of catalyse resin at the rate of 400ml/m2, spreading it well. Place the white microfiber peach skin twill cloth on the plate and the transparency. On the cloth, place a catalyse resin layer at the rate of 600ml/m2, spreading it well. Place the woven forms 300g/m2 fiberglass on the cloth, rouletting it until there are no more airbubbles. Add more catalyse resin, if necessary, in order that all the joint becomes well moist. Over the joint, place the cellophane film, stret alhed and pressed on the laminate. Using a cylinder or a %"plastic pipe, roulette from center to borders, aiming to remove all air still existing inside the joint, All this process can not last more than 10/12 minutes. Let product polymerizing for 24 hours.

After this time, dismold the plate from the glass or base. Cut out the pieces, leaving a plate margin over the boundaries of the transparency. Finish the edges with sandpaper and automotive wax and assemble what will be a trophy, medal, award plate, indicative plate or panel.