Fiberglass Laminators and Fabricators
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators create strong, lightweight products by layering fiberglass materials onto molds to build everything from boat hulls to car bodies and golf cart frames. They mix special resins and catalysts, then carefully apply fiberglass cloth and mats using brushes, rollers, and high-tech pneumatic spray guns to ensure smooth, bubble-free surfaces. This hands-on manufacturing job requires attention to detail and manual skills as workers trim excess materials, check for defects, and bond reinforcing materials to create durable finished products. The work combines traditional craftsmanship with modern manufacturing techniques in industries ranging from marine and automotive to recreational vehicle production.
Did you know?
Working with fiberglass requires strict adherence to OSHA safety standards due to potential respiratory and skin hazards from fiberglass particles and chemical resins.
At a glance
Typical average pay
$46,000 Avg/yr
Growth
Fast growing
Top skill
Monitoring
Things to consider
Industry Demand Variability
Job opportunities fluctuate based on demand in key American industries like marine manufacturing, automotive repair, and construction, with coastal regions typically offering more marine-related positions.
Specialized Training Needs
Most positions require hands-on training through apprenticeships or vocational programs, with some employers preferring candidates with composite materials certification from recognized American institutions.
Key responsibilities
Apply layers of plastic resin to mold surfaces prior to placement of fiberglass mats, repeating layers until products have the desired thicknesses and plastics have jelled.
Trim excess materials from molds, using hand shears or trimming knives.
Cure materials by letting them set at room temperature, placing them under heat lamps, or baking them in ovens.
Check all dies, templates, and cutout patterns to be used in the manufacturing process to ensure that they conform to dimensional data, photographs, blueprints, samples, or customer specifications.
Mix catalysts into resins, and saturate cloth and mats with mixtures, using brushes.