Installation & Maintenance · 2025-09-10
Cutting and Drilling FRP Grating: Tools, Blades and Dust Control
Site cutting FRP is genuinely easy — easier than steel, with no hot-work permit. Do it right and it is also clean and safe.
Tools and blades
| Task | Tool | Blade |
|---|---|---|
| Straight cuts, molded panels | Circular saw / skill saw | Diamond or carbide-tipped, fine tooth |
| Openings, notches, radii | Angle grinder | Diamond cutting disc |
| Curves and small holes | Jigsaw / saber saw | Carbide grit or bi-metal |
| Bolt holes | Hand drill | HSS or carbide — drill 2 mm oversize for movement |
Feed slow and steady — forcing the blade is the cause of chipped grit faces and melted resin edges. Support the offcut so the panel doesn't bind the blade near the end of a cut.
Dust — the serious part
FRP dust is glass and cured resin: a nuisance and respiratory irritant, manageable with ordinary controls:
- Cut outdoors or with mechanical extraction; a shop vac at the blade removes most of it
- PPE: P2/N95 mask minimum (P3 for volume cutting), safety glasses, gloves, long sleeves
- Clean with vacuum and damp wiping — never dry-sweep FRP dust into the air
Edge finishing
Molded panel cut edges need nothing — the composite is homogeneous through the section. Pultruded cut ends are the exception: the longitudinal glass is exposed, so end-cap them or brush on a compatible resin coat. Factory-cut pultruded panels arrive sealed; site-cut ones must be sealed by the crew, and the install checklist catches it.