Composites expertise for diverse markets

Established in November of 2007, GEO Nation Co. LTD was created for the purpose of offering high-tech goods and services globally.  True to its objective, this integrated system manufacturing company has achieved a lot in a decade since its humble beginnings in Tokyo, Daitoku. Now, the company has manufacturing facilities in South Korea and China with a marketing office in Vietnam.  International Plastics News for Asia (IRNA) had an informative discussion with GEO Nation’s CEO, Mr. Kim Hyo Jin on how the company has become one of the fast-rising stars in its sector.   

 

IRNA:  Can you tell us more about the company’s products and services?

 

Mr. Kim:  GEO Nation takes pride in producing high-quality fibers, resins, glass fiber reinforced plastics (GRFPs) and carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRPs). For fibers, we manufacture glass, carbon, aramid, polyethylene, Zairon and boron fibers. For resins, we work with polyethylene resins, vinyl ester resins, epoxy resins, phenolic resins and thermoplastics

 

GFRPs are quite popular in the market today because of the material’s flexibility for making diverse shapes. GFRPs are highly weatherproof and lighter in weight compared to metal. GFRPs have super corrosion resistance and excellent electric insulation. The effect of insulation and penetrability of radio waves on GFRPs is excellent. We provide GFRPs for a vast range of customers in diverse industries – from sports and leisure to the aerospace industry.  

 

Our company is known for our TRI System and GRFP technology. Our patented TRI System is a bonding technology from metal to resin where we process surface treatment for our customers.  This improves the bonding strength of the materials plus provides a high shielding capability with its airtight status. GEO Nation’s TRI System provides high reliability after injection molding and capable of mass production. Our GFRPs are designed for hardness just by adding polyester resins, vinyl ester resins, epoxy resins or phenol resins to glass fibers. By far, it is the cheapest and most ideal among fiber reinforced plastics (FRP) available today.

 

IRNA: Are your products intended for domestic market only? What is the share of export market to your overall production?

 

Mr. Kim:  Actually, most of our products and processes are intended for global distribution. Our global market spans across Asia, mainly Japan, China and Vietnam. Our local customer base in Korea and Japan includes powerhouses in electronics such as Fujitsu, Sharp, Samsung and LG.

 

Like what I said before, most of our products and services are set for the export worldwide. I would say about 80% to 90% of our products are earmarked for export. We offer our TRI System chemical solution to global manufacturing corporations.  For composite materials, we produce Panasonic rear cases in Korea and deliver them to Japan.

 

IRNA: How would you describe the production processes applied by GEO Nation? 

 

Mr. Kim: To make our Fiber Reinforced Plastics (FRP), we use both Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) and auto clave processes. The production process under the system is intensively controlled by modern equipment and exact condition management. The RTM process is a technology that allows fabric and resin to be combined for the specialized products. In order to support more powerful cementing capability, a test specimen installed at each jig is tested for quality after TRI treatment under the same conditions as a product. Entering TRI process is allowed after removing oil and contamination stained on the surface of metal. TRI cementing film is formed by anodizing response in a TRI liquid tank.

 

In the RTM method, GEO Nation uses this forming method to inject the resin into a mold. To give a more detailed description, RTM is a forming method injecting a resin in a closure of mold after a fabric type fiber is installed in a cast of mold.  

 

Mr. Kim Hyo Jin, CEO – GEO Nation Co., Ltd 

 

IRNA: How would you describe the manufacturing plant of GEO Nation in terms of meeting customers’ needs?

 

Mr. Kim:  We have several facilities that utilize the bonding technology, TRI system, and these are located in Korea, China and Vietnam.  Our FRP production line is located in South Korea.

Utilizing our TRI process, we can produce approximately 200 million units per year. This is also dependent on the size of the product requested by our customer. We have to take in consideration the surface area due to its treatment using our special chemical solution. We produce around 400,000 FRP products per year, based on customer‘s request. Therefore, if the customer wants more, our capacity can increase as well.

 

Our TRI system is a patented surface treatment automatic process. To go into detail, a metal and a resin are cemented forcefully by insert-molding after making cementing film by chemical surface treatment on a metal part. This process allows for metal surface etching, and create the layer on it. This layer enables resin bonding physically and chemically. 

 

For the FRP system, we use the auto clave and hot press processes, as well as RTM process. As we describe above, this combined technology allows for the bonding of fabric and resin together. We apply the fabric on the mold and insert resin into the mold.

 

IRNA: What are the steps the company has undertaken to guarantee product quality?  

 

Mr. Kim: For our TRI System, we subject our products through a barrage of tests. These tests include tensile tests, helium leak test, high temperature and high humid tests, and thermal shock test. The TRI quality guarantee system gives a warranty of powerful cementing capability through tensile force test and the high shielding capability through a helium leak test. 

 

Our FRP units undergo thermohygrostat checks (checking temperature and humidity levels), thermal shock check and strength check. With the purpose of the ‘quality the first’ and customer satisfaction, we do our best to quality guarantee under the belief that a good quality produces a good result.

 

To ensure quality, GEO Nation sources materials from Japan for the TRI surface products. For our GFRP units, we manufacture the raw material in-house through  cooperation with our Korean and Chinese raw material company partners. 

 

IRNA: What are GEO Nation’s future plans?  

 

Mr. Kim: GEO Nation is seeking to constantly push our limits and test what we are capable of. For our TRI Systerm, we are in the process of broadening adoptable metals, such as stainless steel and titanium, into the process. Currently, it mainly applies to aluminum and magnesium materials. 

 

Our company is also looking to broaden our horizon with our own GFRP products. Currently, we manufacture GFRP for our customers’ own line of products. With the cooperation of our other partner companies, if it’s possible, we’d like to launch our own brand to introduce to the composite material market.

 

GEO Nation Co., Ltd 

Tel: +82-3 6268 9501

Fax: +82-3 6268 9502

E-mail: hjkim@geo-nation.com

Website:  www.geo-nation.co.jp/us