We all know that carbon fiber composites are superior to traditional materials such as steel, aluminum, wood or plastic. It is more than three times stronger and stiffer than aluminum, but 40% lighter, enabling the manufacture of high-performance lightweight products. Because carbon fiber composite materials are easy to form and have no limitations in forming, they can be used in various industries. At present, they are mainly used in aircraft, racing cars and bicycles. As long as you master the basic knowledge of carbon fiber layup, lamination and molding methods and the guidance of professionals, you can easily make different parts with carbon fiber composite materials. Next, we will introduce several commonly used production methods of carbon fiber special-shaped parts.
Open Molding
There are three main methods of producing Carbon Fiber Parts: hand lay-up, spraying and vacuum infusion. Whichever method you choose, you will first need a mold. The quality of the mold directly affects the quality of the final Carbon Fiber shape Parts, so grinding tools are a key aspect in the manufacture of carbon fiber shaped parts. Mold can be made of many materials such as wax, foam, wood, plastic or metal. It is then machined by CNC or handcrafted. Different materials cost different amounts. Customers can choose the appropriate material according to their budget. In most cases, the mold is made of carbon steel. It can also be plastic or other material. If it is a long-term project, we recommend you to choose carbon steel. Because the carbon steel abrasive is more durable, and the mold fee only needs to be paid one time. The time required to mold is related to the complexity of the part. Generally at least half a month. Of course, you can also choose a robust and cost-effective approach, replacing metal with in-house printed plastic parts can reduce production time while increasing design flexibility. Producing mold is a time-consuming workflow—especially for complex geometries.
1. Hand paste
Hand lay-up is the cheapest and easiest composite molding method, generally used to make DIY carbon fiber parts or a production method that does not require high parts surface and tolerances. If you are new to carbon fiber part manufacturing, hand lay-up is a great option.
Hand lay-up starts by laying carbon fiber cloth into a mold, which uses thin plastic sheets to obtain a smooth surface. Then apply the resin mixed with other ingredients evenly with a brush to impregnate the surface of the reinforcement. Molded under high temperature and high pressure environment
2. Spray Lamination
The spraying method is similar to the hand lay-up approach but the method is different from the hand lay-up method. Because the hand-held spray gun sprays a mixture of thermosetting resin and chopped carbon fiber. An operator applies composite material to a single-sided mold. The composite material is cured under atmospheric conditions. Although tooling costs are low, production cycle times are much longer.
3. Vacuum Infusion
The cost of vacuum infusion is relatively low tooling due to it not requiring high temperature or high pressure environment. Large and complex carbon fiber components can be manufactured. Firstly, placing the fiber reinforcement into the mold. Then place in a plastic bag film cover and secure on top to form a vacuum seal. The resin is then poured into strategically placed ports and feed tubes. Finally the resin is drawn through a vacuum through the reinforcement.
How to get the quotation of custom parts? You can send an inquiry to us and inform us the quantity you need. Please also attached the file. STEP file will be better. So that our engineers can observe accessories in all directions and easy to produce. If you do not have a Step file drawing, don't worry, we can make one for you only if you provide us with a draft. Or, you can send us the parts directly. We can reproduce it according to what you sent. It doesn't matter if the part material you send is different from the material you actually need. We can reproduce in a different materials like aluminum to carbon fiber. After getting the drawing, we can estimate the mold cost, material usage and processing time according to your exact size. Then provide the customer with the mold fee and unit price. If the budget is out of your budget, we can propose materials, accessories, or design alternatives to lower the price of your project. Regarding the MOQ, we don't have any requirements. 1pcs also is ok. It should be noted that once the mold is confirmed, it cannot be changed again unless the mold fee is paid again. So before making the mold, make sure that there is no problem with the drawing. We are looking forward to receiving your inquiry.
