Over the last 10 years, PRF Composite Materials has established itself as market leader for innovation and product development, highlighted by our shortlisting two-years running by Composites UK in the category of Innovation in Composite materials (2023 & 2024). CEO and Head of Product Development, Robert Burnell, explains that our ‘doing things differently’ philosophy is at the very heart of this cutting-edge drive: “We begin with a view of not just producing alternatives of the same. Whilst difference for its own sake isn’t a worthwhile pursuit, our drive for innovation begins with looking at the market and working with our customers to develop improved materials. Thinking differently and not being constrained by what has gone before… what is entrenched… what is easy for us as a manufacturer, our goal is less to ‘be different’ and more to ‘be better’ - helping our customers to achieve improved results.”
Guided by this, we have launched a number of market-leading prepreg materials in recent years:
RP570 & RP570 FR eXpress cure prepreg systems: standard and fire-retardant snap cure systems ideal for high volume manufacture of carbon components by heated press.
REEPREG: our prepreg material made with recycled carbon nonwoven mat. Significant investment into developing REEPREG, alongside our processing know-how, has made this a market-leading product with superior handling and results. We recently launched REEPREG in combination with RP570 FR for components requiring FST properties.
Q.tool: our groundbreaking, patented prepreg tooling technology offering significant cost/time benefits and fantastic drapeability.
Other highlights from the range include systems for visual quality, highly toughened, unidirectional, low temperature and a selection of tooling prepregs to suit a range of cure temperatures and out life requirements.
Manufacturing on 4 sites, we have an established kit cutting centre, prepreg manufacturing lines (including a UD line) and our new Product Development and Innovation centre - with fully equipped laboratories for product development and mechanical testing.
Quality and our commitment to sustainability are core values at PRF, and we are certified to ISO 9001:2001 and ISO 14001:2015. We are also members of Composites UK, and the Composites UK Sustainability Subgroup and are an SME affiliate member of the National Composites Centre. We are committed to helping support and develop the next generations of composite engineers, and so are a signatory of the Composites UK Skills Pledge and a proud material sponsor of the ThrustWSH project, led by Richard Noble and Lorne Campbell to break the world water speed record and inspire generations of future engineers in the process.
With our wider range of advanced materials, we provide solutions for manufacturers using hand layup and infusion processing. We offer a comprehensive selection of reinforcements, which includes specialist fibre types and a range of constructions, high performance epoxy resin systems and Qiicote mould release technologies. We support this with a range of consumables and Robuso cutters and shears – which are specifically designed for cutting technical textiles.
At its foundation, PRF started its life in 1982 as a rapid response unit: the first UK company to make advanced fibre reinforcements available from stock. As the company has grown and established itself as a leading UK prepreg manufacturer, our team have not lost sight of this. We develop highly advanced technologies but we are, at heart, a service company. We are here to work with our customers and to provide improved solutions that offer them advantages across the board: in performance, cost, efficiency and sustainability.
