G10 / FR4 Fibreglass
☀ UV Stable
⬡ Chemical Resistant
Overview
G10/FR4 — woven fibreglass laminate sheet. The industry standard substrate for PCBs and structural composites. Extremely high strength-to-weight, flame retardant, moisture resistant, and dimensionally stable. Produces hazardous glass fibre dust when machined — full respiratory protection mandatory.
Properties
Difficulty
advanced
Enclosure
no
Dry Storage
no
Pros
- Very high strength-to-weight ratio
- Flame retardant (FR4 grade)
- Moisture and chemical resistant
- Dimensionally stable
- Electrically insulating
- Consistent thickness
- Machines to fine tolerances
Cons
- Glass fibre dust is a respiratory hazard — P100 respirator mandatory
- Abrasive — significant tooling wear
- Noisy machining
- Delamination risk if tooling is dull
- Limited to CNC — cannot be easily hand-worked
- Expensive vs standard plastics
Best For
- PCB substrates|RC aircraft and drone structures|Electrical insulation panels|Structural composite panels|Knife handle scales|Precision mechanical components
Avoid For
- Any work without respiratory protection and dust extraction|Hand-tool working|Food contact|Applications where weight is critical (carbon fibre is better)