Back to Blog
Carbon fiber6/20/2023 ![]() The fibers themselves are made up of carbon atoms whose crystal structure is aligned into strands, making the strands incredibly strong in tension. When many fibers are bound together to create larger structural elements, forces can distribute and disperse loads along the lengths of all of the fibers.įiberglass strands being laid down in a mold and cured with a thermoset resin.Ĭarbon fiber has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios out there, making it very valuable for creating lightweight, strong parts. These fibers are almost never used by themselves - they are woven into sheets, wrapped into rods, or formed into custom molded shapes with the help of a matrix material to harden the fibers into an optimized shape. As we covered in the Physics of 3D Printing, the fibers are like spaghetti - thin, brittle, and easy to snap if bent. Carbon fiber, fiberglass, and Kevlar are three of the most common fiber materials used for composites in industry. However, when we talk about composites from an engineering standpoint, we usually refer to composites with reinforcing fibers. Materials like concrete and particleboard can be considered composites, because they are mixtures of a variety of materials. Composite materials, on the other hand, are parts made up of more than one material that, when combined, have properties different from their original materials.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |