Open Mold Fabrication: What Is It?

Now, polymer matrix composites don’t just appear out of thin air and lay themselves magically on every manufacturer’s feet. For such materials to come to be, they need to go through a process. This is where open mold fabrication comes in.

Hailed as the easiest method for manufacturing polymer matrix composites, open mold fabrication is generally used in the production of fiberglass, often with a polyester matrix.

5 Methods Involving the Fabrication Process

To go about the creation of open molds for polymer matrix composites, companies can take their pick from any of these 5 methods. Each brings its own share to the table; ultimately, it’s about selecting a method that fits with your intended outcome or product.

1. Hand lay-up

Among the 5, the hand lay-up method is the simplest to do. It involves spraying a gel coat onto the surface to create a high-quality finish, and the gel coat is then cured.

Next, a glass-reinforcing mat is fitted into the mold, and then resin, which is catalyzed, is brushed, poured, or sprayed onto the surface. Manual rolling is then introduced; this ensures the materials combined are kept compact, as well as removes air bubbles present in the pile.

2. Spray-up

The spray-up method of open mold fabrication offers flexibility and variety in the creation of products based on polymer matrix composites. This is another method that involves quality results without putting too much of a dent on a firm’s budget.

To kick things off, the person in charge of the procedure begins a series of tasks pretty much similar to the hand lay-up method. The key difference involves the spraying on—hence the name—of chopped-up reinforcing fibers and liquid resin matrix onto the mold’s surface.

Manual rolling is enforced, with the same purpose as the previous step: to do away with air trapped in between the layers. To enhance strength and thickness, makers add woven roving in key areas.

Furthermore, some builders opt to add pigmented gel coats to create colorful, smooth surfaces.

3. Filament winding

For filament winding to be possible, you need to set up a rotating mandrel to function as a mold. An automated process, it involves feeding a strand of roving into a resin bath; the strand is then attached to a rotating mandrel.

Next, the roving strand travels on a trolley, which covers the entire length of the mandrel. The strand is then led onto a premade geometric pattern. Builders repeat this step until they achieve a sufficient layer of strands required for maximum tensile strength.

Once the layers are present, the builders cure the laminate right then and there on the mandrel. After the curing process, they remove the laminate from the equipment.

4. Autoclave curing

For autoclave curing to take place, makers need to have on hand a mold fashioned through any fabrication method.

Said mold is placed inside a plastic bag, and a vacuum pump is utilized to exhaust the air in the bag. In addition, the pump removes unstable products residing in the mold.

Afterward, the mold is placed in an autoclave, where curing takes place. This is brought about by the presence of heat and pressure in the autoclave, which, in addition, assist the densification of the mold.

Manufacturers rely on autoclave curing to create homogeneous materials. However, the procedure is rather costly. It delivers excellent results, though, and thus is utilized in the construction of aerospace products.

5. Tape lay-up

Tape lay-up is a process that uses prepreg tape, which is repeatedly placed down into layers to form parts. Creators love this procedure for its versatility as it works brilliantly for parts with complex lines and angles.

Furthermore, even with the process in motion, creators can take breaks in the application and vary directional placements. It’s also suitable for both thermoplastic and thermoset substances.

Safety of Workers and the Environment

The execution of open mold fabrication requires that stringent guidelines and protocols be followed by fabricators and manufacturers alike.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the United States of America is an example of a government agency responsible for assuring proper working conditions are met for workers in the country.

Pulling this off entails periodic and regular training, updates on toxicity information, observance of proper handling procedures, adherence to application of protective equipment, and expansion of monitoring programs.

Manufacturers and fabricators need to follow and keep abreast with the rules and guidelines established by the safety-and-hazard and employee-protection agencies in their respective nations. This ensures risks and hazards are kept to a minimum, both for humans and Mother Nature alike.

As the modern age developed, so did man’s understanding of the world we lived in and the materials that were available to us. Humans have always interacted with their environment to their advantage. From first inventing the wheel to assist with transporting goods and people, now we build rockets that transport people and goods into space.

One thing has always been the same though: we are always trying to make improvements and discover new things. The use of composite materials in all industries is a wonderful example of this modern human ingenuity.

A composite material is a simple concept: it is made by combining two or more constituent materials with significantly different properties. When they are combined, they will produce a composite with new properties different to either individual material. The advantages of this are obvious. By combining two materials, you can create a new material that has the best elements and strengths of both, without the individual weaknesses of the original materials.

Fiberglass is one of the most well known of all the modern composite materials and is used in a wide range of industries and applications. The name ‘Fiberglass’ may be misleading though as this term is actually the common name for the composite of ‘fiber-reinforced plastic’ using glass fiber. So actually fiberglass as we know it today is a composite itself but not to be confused with one of its materials: glass Fiber.

Fiberglass can even be substituted for the wheel as it helps to transport people and goods through its application in the production of aircraft, boats and automobiles. Due to its flexibility and low cost to produce, it is also a fantastic material which is used to build larger household items such as bathtubs and pools.

Manufacturing

Production of the fiberglass that we use today was actually discovered by accident in 1932 when Games Slayter, a researcher at a Fortune 500 company based in Ohio, USA, directed a jet of compressed air at a stream of molten glass and produced glass fibers. However this was only the beginning and it took a few more decades before anything like the Fiberglass we build with today was produced.

The process used to manufacture fiberglass is called pultrusion. Large furnaces are used to gradually melt all the ingredients together into a liquid: silica, sand, limestone, kaolin clay, fluorspar, Coleman, dolomite and other minerals.

The second part of the process is to then mould it into its desired outcome, which can be either as glass fibers, or woven into a blanket as seen in the picture below.

Fiber Glass Production

Benefits

Fiberglass has many benefits that make it the perfect choice for certain industries. It is strong, lightweight and weather resistant. But the two factors that have probably caused it to be the most commonly used composite are these: it is extremely versatile and much cheaper to make than most other composites.

Its versatility is due to the very simple concept that a composite is made of combing two different materials, in this case a plastic and a glass fiber. If you know you are wanting a specific outcome, for example it needs to be completely weather resistant and light, you would combine different plastics and glass fibers to say if you wanted a material that was stronger and more flexible.

Equally, once the materials have been combined and the Fiberglass composite has been created, how you then set it or mould it will also differ depending on your own design and requirements.

One of the disadvantages of glass fiber is that it is weaker than some other fibers such as carbon fiber. An individual glass fiber is both stiff and strong but because a typical fiber is long and narrow, it can buckle easily. Because of the way that glass fiber forms, it is stronger in one direction than the other. This can be used to the designer’s advantage as they can determine the look of the end product and therefore the direction the glass fibers need to be lined by which parts need to be the strongest and how the end product is going to be used.

Another way to increase the strength of the Fiberglass composite is by laying multiple layers of fiber on top of one another, with each layer oriented in various preferred directions. Effectively this is allowing you to efficiently predict and create the material’s desired finished stiffness and strength: you are in complete control.

As mentioned above, Fiberglass is one of the most cost-effective composites. We can already see that the end Fiberglass composite is almost completely under the desginer’s control. Thanks to its low cost, they are able to make continuous discoveries and improvements to their design and production. They can play around with new techniques or different plastics to produce better fiberglass. This is just not possible with one of its main rivals Carbon fiber, which can cost a developer 2.5 million dollars just in the machinery fees to produce it.

Modern Applications

Fiberglass first had its opening debut during the second world war when they began to build with it in aircrafts as a replacement for the molded plywood that had been used up until then.

Following the conclusion of the second world war it entered into the civilian domain in the production of boats and sports car bodies. In the sporting world of competitive racing they have too since moved on to use carbon fiber instead of glass, as this is much stronger and lighter. As discussed above the production of Fiberglass is much cheaper than that of carbon. It is only in the last couple of decades when the prodction costs of carbon fiber has somewhat reduced that it is now possible to use carbon fiber in things other than the very expensive aerospace industry. It all started with fiberglass and the competitive worlds of sports bikes, racing cars, supercars and sports equipment would not be where it was today with the introduction of fiberglass into all these fields all those years ago.

Fiberglass may now not be the first choice for supercars or sports cars where the tiniest difference in strength and weight can mean victory or loss, it still has other properties which make it the first choice in many industries.

In the house-building industry the malleable nature of fiberglass production makes it an excellent choice for roofing laminates, door and window surrounds, chimneys and many other applications. It is much easier to handle than more traditional materials used in house-building like wood or metal and is more lightweight. Mass-produced fiberglass brick panels can also be used and have the added benefit of providing insulation to reduce heat loss.

Fiberglass also has low signal attenuation properties and RF permeability. This means that it is perfect for use in the telecommuncations industry for shrouding antennas.

Conclusion

There are literally hundreds of uses of fiberglass and it is a composite material that is constantly being improved and explored to create better, more durable and safer materials for use in a wide range of industries.

Thanks to its much lower cost to produce than other composites it has allowed other smaller industries to use it to their advantage. While it may have been over taken in the expensive and ever competitive worlds of sports racing and equipment, it certainly hasn’t been beat in most other fields. You can bet that fiberglass production and manufacturing has a long happy life ahead of it yet.

Nowadays, successful discoveries and implementations in one field often branch out to another. Take carbon fiber, for example. When this material first started out, it was used exclusively in the aerospace industry, no thanks to the fact that it was too expensive to produce.

Then the experts stepped in and tinkered with carbon fiber, until its production didn’t put a massive dent in their wallets. As a result, other industries followed suit in adopting carbon fiber for material production. This includes the automotive, seafaring, and sporting-equipment fields.

Talking about sports, the magic that is carbon fiber has taken the windsurfing realm by storm too. This is through the form of the BIC Sport Windfoil.

Changing the Windsurfing Game

The BIC Sport Windfoil is out to change the rules and standards of windsurfing. Once you’ve hopped on the best, how can you prefer anything else?

This is precisely what the BIC Sport Windfoil and Kerfoils—one of the world’s renowned experts in foil design—collaboration aims to turn into reality. Windsurfing is a complex activity, one that’s not without its own sets of risks, and so it requires special equipment for a smooth, seamless execution.

How Carbon Fiber Improves Foils

The carbon fiber hydrofoil concept for windsurfing has only recently come about. But this “late” entry into the game doesn’t do any less to this adrenaline-filled universe, as this new concept has taken the windsurfing arena by storm.

Inspiration comes in many forms, in various methods. For the BIC Sport Windfoil, it came from the foils found exclusively in boats, or at least until the production of carbon fiber surged.

With carbon fiber in the picture, the windfoil takes on a turn for the amazing. Experts carefully crafted the foil’s design to enable you to reduce your windspeed up to 13 knots. This isn’t a fixed value, though, because once you’ve gotten the hang of windsurfing and the foil, you can even aim for a lower speed level.

Reasons to Go for Carbon Fiber

For the BIC Sport Windfoil to come into existence, manufacturers relied on not just any carbon fiber but specifically one that comes from 3MB. The company takes pride in its role as one of the top carbon fiber authorities in the field.

You can be sure of the top-notch quality of the carbon fiber from 3MB, what with the firm’s expertise in carbon fiber applications. Proof of its passion and dedication to improving composite parts is the birth of its new site in Thailand. This factory is larger, and fully equipped with the latest materials.

This is proven by the implementation of carbon fiber in the BIC Sport Windfoil. Mainly, carbon fiber adds stability to the foil. With this stability comes the smooth, seamless experience in every ride.

With this new profile comes the ability to create excellent lifts. Every lift enables you to fly quickly and smoothly. In addition, you get a new windsurfing sensation, one that’s way better than what you’re used to, of course!

Think of it as flying freely over the water. You’ve control at your fingertips. As you glide and breeze by the water, you can focus on hearing the gentle music of waves of the birds or the wind, since you move with the littlest possible noise.

Now if that isn’t taking windsurfing to an out-of-this-world level, no one will know what is.

Specifications of the Improved Windfoil

Techniques performed by the 3MB team to ensure excellent production involved the following: laminating, compressing the molding in an aluminum CNC mold, and then assembling the parts with the use of screws.

When the molds are done and formed, they’re then sent to the compression machine. This is where they’re compressed at a rating of 150 bars in order to produce parts sans scratches, bubbles, and pinholes. Thus, smooth and compressed molds are born.

The final stage kicks in, and involves several processes. Molds are trimmed, drilled, sanded, and polished. The result? Molds that are so flawless and shiny that looking at them makes you feel you’re face-to-face with the sun.

That being said, here are the technical specs of the BIC Sport Windfoil:

• Mast height: 70 cm
• Front-wing length: 82 cm
• Rear-wing length: 50.5 cm
• Material: Carbon
• Weight: 2.6 kg
• Deep tuttle box plug

Other Exciting Additions and Changes

The BIC Sport Windfoil was created with improved user experience in mind. Once you’re out flying over the water, you don’t have to worry yourself over control, because the product is easy to maneuver.

What’s more, BIC understands your thirst for travel, to explore new seas and fly over new water territories. Thus, the company made the windsurf foil detachable from its board. Anyone can also easily dismount both board and foil. Wherever nook in the world you want to explore, rest assured you can take your BIC Sport Windfoil with you.

What are you waiting for? Go get one, and experience the terrific changes yourself!

What Are Yachts Made Of?

Boatbuilding has made major leaps and bounds since the first seaworthy “boat” set out to sea in 8,000 BC (imagine that). Gone are the days when wood was deemed the primary resource for boat construction. Modern technology has elevated standards to greater heights. Nowadays, lighter and stronger is the name of the game.

Of course, yachts well belong into this category. Perhaps you’ve noticed how this sea vessel differs slightly from its water-exploring counterparts. Maybe you’ve seen how its material isn’t exactly the same as the common ship’s. Your curiosity’s piqued, and you can’t quite figure out what the yacht’s made of: cement, a special kind of wood, some superpower steel?

Nope, nope, and nope.

Most yachts are built from composite materials.

What Are Composite Materials?

The modern yacht is the product of composite materials all thrown in together, specifically marine composites. Put simply, a composite is a brand-new product resulting from two or more different materials combined.

For a composite material to be, it needs two primary source materials: a matrix (or a resin, if you may) and a reinforcement (a fiber). The thing with composite materials is they’re equipped with features that far exceed the characteristics of their two original materials alone. Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t it?

Take mud and straw, for example. This man-made composite has been around for more than 10,000 years. Nature, of course, comes with her own natural composites. Some examples are bamboo, wood, and bone.

How Do Composite Materials Come into Play in Yacht Building?

The basic framework of the modern yacht came to be almost accidentally. It was in the 1930s when researchers at the glass company in Owens, Illinois, attempted to shape into threadlike form some glass into fibers. They wanted to find alternatives to mineral wool as filter and insulator, hence the procedure.

But wait, there’s more. In the 1940s, boat engineers got into an experimental mood and decided to use thermosetting plastic to construct boats. They were greatly pleased with the results: the hulls were devoid of seams and sharp angles. It was a smooth construction experience, to say the least.

Combining the abovementioned elements paved the way for revolutionary boatbuilding. Thermosetting plastic provided flexibility, and fiberglass offered strength.

The marine industry was never the same after that.

Are There Specific Composite Materials That Produce the Best Yachts?

Composite materials come in all shapes and forms; they’re virtually endless. Thus, it’s little wonder this question always comes up when the subject of yacht building is brought into light: “What’s the most ideal material for constructing yachts?”

There is no right or fixed answer to this query. Composite materials alone don’t make for a solid-enough factor to warrant a conclusive answer. Though they denote elegance and luxury, yachts are actually much more complex than they seem.

Whether you’re eyeing a customized yacht or purchasing a finished one, always be on the lookout for corrosion resistance, strength, and weight. Second, factor in your would-be yacht’s cruising grounds. Will you be using it primarily in freshwater or in saltwater? Steel appears to corrode faster in saltwater, so it’s best to look into that as well.

What Are the Other Points to Keep in Mind in Yacht Construction?

In addition, take into consideration the size of the yacht’s hull. Some composite materials are more ideal for smaller hulls; others are better matches for larger hulls.

Then there are experts who believe composite materials work best for production yachts than custom ones. However, there are custom-yacht firms that delivered superb results with the use of composite materials. This strengthens the need to take all factors into careful study when it comes to yacht construction.

What Are the Usual Composite Materials Used to Build Yachts?

While composite materials come in several forms (as mentioned, virtually endless), a handful of them are mainstays when it comes to yacht production. Here are 3 of these composites:

Glass Fiber

Glass fiber was the product of an experiment conducted by engineers at a glass-manufacturing company in Owens, Illinois, in the 1930s. These fibers are well-known for their strength and flexibility; in fact, about 90% of all boats were built from some form of fiber that has been molded from the original glass fiber.

In addition, this product has properties similar to the silica-based fiberglass of this modern era. Goes to show how much of an influence this composite had in revolutionary boatbuilding.

Aramid

Aromatic polyamide, better known as aramid, entered the yacht-construction scene only about 30 years ago. While a relatively young discovery, it has made a tremendous impact in the creation of seaworthy vessels, yachts included.

This material is perfect for a yacht framework. It is lightweight, and can be woven and interwoven with other composite materials. It stands up to punctures and fatigue too, perfect for voyages into much-rougher seas.

Carbon fiber

It can be said that carbon fiber is the latest star in the world of yacht construction. It is lightweight and stiff; no wonder most manufacturers prefer to use this in their recent boats or models.

What’s more, carbon fiber has a low weight and mass, has remarkable thermal stability, is strong, and is highly durable. It is a bit tricky to work with, though, and is the costliest of all reinforcing fibers. However, it seems its pros far more outweigh its cons, hence its steadily rising demand and use for yacht construction.

Fortunately, rapid developments in science and technology have lent a hand in the human quest for improvement. These advancements led to the production of lighter, more durable materials, and polymer matrix composites (PMCs) are one of these.

Polymer Matrix Composites Defined

Polymer matrix composites “are comprised of a variety of short or continuous fibers bound together by an organic polymer matrix.” They offer high strength and stiffness, unlike ceramic matrix composites (CMC), which offer toughness.

Categories of Polymer Matrix Composites

Polymer matrix composites are classified into two categories. However, there is no concrete property that separates the two, and the sole basis for this distinction lies on mechanical properties.

1. Reinforced plastics

Reinforced plastics are made up of polyester resins, and these resins use E-glass, or low-stiffness glass fibers for reinforcements. They’ve been around much longer, as it was only about 40 years ago when people first began using them for automative panels, boat hulls, pipes, and the like.

2. Advanced composites

Advanced composites, on the other hand, are made up of several matrix and fiber combinations. This results to a composite material of top-notch stiffness and strength.

Compared to reinforced plastics, advanced composites have been around only recently, about 15 years ago. They’re often used in the aerospace industry, but because they’re expensive, they haven’t been used much elsewhere.

Advantages of Polymer Matrix Composites

You’re lucky to be born in a period wherein science and technology have made superior advancements. This applies to not only the scientific community but also the market and consumer fields.

For manufacturers, especially in the transportation realm, polymer matrix composites are the next best things to sliced bread. Here’s why:

1. Lightweight and durable

Polymer matrix composites are favored for their ability to be both lightweight and durable. In the old days, people relied heavily on stones and metals for various purposes, but not everything went well in this front.

Most stones and metals were heavy and bulky, and they were difficult to transport. The early humans succeeded in constructing buildings and structures entirely from stone and metal, but they had to adjust around the characteristics of these resources.

The early humans had other plans involving the use of materials readily available to them. However, down the line, they always had to compromise. Stone, for example, makes for a great shelter, but they couldn’t use it as a battle shield. It would be too heavy to lug around, and the warrior risks losing his balance. Not fun.

2. Fatigue and corrosion resistant

Polymer matrix composites are also favored for their high resistance to corrosion and fatigue. Their plastic encasing makes them virtually invincible against the clutches of wear and tear, and remember, they’re lightweight.

With current polymer matrix composites, they tend to decompose when exposed to temperatures below 316°C (or 600°F). Experts are coming up with methods to improve this characteristic.

Applications of Polymer Matrix Composites

Polymer matrix composites are the stuff of every manufacturer’s dream. They’re a combination of both strength and durability, and they can be fabricated through a process referred to as a lay-up. Thank heavens for modern technology!

1. Aerospace

About 50% of sales for polymer matrix composites come from the aerospace industry. And why not? These composites make for a great building material for airplanes, spacecraft, and the like.

Airbus has pioneered the use of polymer matrix composites in their planes, for example. Other airline companies are likely to follow suit, but as mentioned, price remains a hindrance for this project.

2. Economic areas

Polymer matrix composites help boost up economic areas, be it in a country or in a manufacturing firm. The United States, for example, produced more than a million tons of fiber composites, and this greatly benefitted the national economy.

3. Transport

Transportation has gained a new base-material favorite with polymer matrix composites. These have been used for more than fifty years already, and each year, the world sees an increase in the production of these composite products.

Polymer matrix composites penetrate mostly the automotive manufacturing and railway industries. You can see them in the form of dashboards, car covers, engine covers, car floors, and seats. Yup, they’re practically everywhere in your car.

4. Construction

Polymer matrix composites are used in lighthouses, hydraulic construction, storage tanks, and door and window components, to name a few. They’re also used to reconstruct and repair infrastructure.

5. Shipbuilding

Boats—a large chunk of them, actually—are mostly made up of composite materials. From your yacht, lifeboat, cruise ship, fishing boat, and others, you can find polymer matrix composites in them.

The future of polymer matrix composites is bright and promising. Scientists are constantly seeking ways to improve these materials and address their weak points. It’s exciting what the next step for polymer matrix composites is, so stay tuned.

What is Carbon Fibre?

Have you ever heard of Carbon Fibre? If you have any interest in the materials used in the automotive industry, in the manufacturing of racing cars or bikes, of golf clubs and other sporting equipment, you will no doubt have heard of Carbon Fibre, and how it is improving the quality of the product in all of these industries. Long gone are the days where Carbon Fibre was such an expensive material that it could only be used in the aerospace industry.

But what exactly is Carbon Fibre and why does this material seem to be popping up everywhere?

Put simply, Carbon Fibre is made of thousands of  long thin strands of material mostly made up of Carbon atoms (no surprises there). It is an extremely thin material, the fibres being about 5–10 μm in diameter. But even though it is thin, it is extremely strong, and is also much lighter and less dense than most other materials. It starts becoming clearer why Carbon Fibre is an extremely effective material to use in the production of items that require strength or speed.

There are many other individual qualities of Carbon Fibre versus other materials and for a full list please see here.

Carbon Fibre Manufacturing

So how then is it made? To produce Carbon Fibre, the carbon atoms are bonded together in crystals. These are, more or less, aligned parallel to the fibre.  The crystal alignment is what gives the fibre it’s high strength-to-volume ratio (making it strong for its size).

Several thousand Carbon Fibres are bundled together which can be used by itself, or woven into a fabric.

The production of Carbon Fibre is an expensive and complex process, and each carbon fibre manufacturer has their own techniques for producing their product. The exact science and techniques of this production is a trade secret and is heavily guarded by each company. It is not surprising then that most people have heard of Carbon Fibre but are unsure of how it is made.

Equally, the equipment used to make Carbon Fibre is extremely expensive and is often bespoke to the specific technique of the individual manufacturer: just the equipment alone to produce the fibre can start at around $25 million. That doesn’t include all the research hours and knowledge base put into making a high quality Carbon Fibre product.

For a detailed step by step explanation of the manufacturing process of Carbon Fibre please see here.

One way to use Carbon Fibre is to combine it with another material such as plastic resine for example, and this is called a composite. This combination makes the material cheaper to produce and widens the product base it can create. For more information on composites and how they are increasingly being innovated and used please see here. One of the more common composites is known as Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer, or CFRP, and is commercially produced for many industries.

If you are interested in the science behind Carbon Fibre, or for an indepth look at the chemistry, please see here.

How Can It Be Used?

We know that Carbon Fibre is lighter, less dense, and stronger than almost any other material. It is also expensive to produce, so how can it be used to in a way to make it most useful for products where value for money is important? How can Carbon Fibre be a viable commercial product and cost effective?

The short answer is that it hasn’t been easy. Companies like 3MB have worked tirelessly in their labs and with worldwide experts to keep improving this unique product. Thanks to the way it is produced, each company’s Carbon Fibre product is individually recognisable, and its production techniques are a closely guarded secret, considered intellectual property.

Due to the beneficial properties mentioned above, one of the recent and exciting new products made from Carbon Fibre manufactured by 3MB is the new improved edition of the Snow Bike, the YETI SNOWMX.

Thanks to the magic ingredient of the Carbon Fibre concept created by 3MB, this Snowbike can amass greater speeds, push further and reach higher than ever before. It is an astonishing 16kg lighter than its main competitor. The YETI SNOWMX took two and a half years of working with the best manufacturers from around the world to produce, but it would not have been possible without 3MB’s Carbon Fibre concept. The strength of the concept is an incredible low weight ratio combined using aerospace processes calculated by professionals.

We mentioned above that Carbon Fibre is used in many industries, one of them being the manufacturer of racing cars, where ever greater speeds and less weight can make the difference between a triumphant victory or coming last. Of glory or failure. A full Carbon Fibre racing car is no longer even a dream, it’s a reality. If you don’t happen to be a professional racing car driver, it is also used in supercars and if you would like to buy one of the world’s most expensive then have a look at our list here.

Now we know more about the qualities of Carbon Fibre and how it is being produced to be less expensive and more commercially available, the benefits of using it in a wide range of fields are obvious. Take for example its use in the construction industry. It could make houses that are strong enough to resist tornadoes or earthquakes, to make bridges that are stronger and safer, or to repair older structures to make them safe and habitable once again.

This product not only makes your bicycle go faster, but it can save lives, and considering that Carbon Fibre is thinner than a human hair, it is an incredible material indeed.

2017 is a year that will be remembered. It is a year that will stand out in the history of powersports and you are there to bear witness. If you want to experience the ultimate in power sports then the only 9 words that are worth hearing are these: the new improved generation of YETI SNOWMX is here.

YETI SNOWMX

The YETI SNOWMX is the culmination of years of engineering and fine tuning, and has been created by none other than Kevin Forsyth, the owner of C3 PowerSports. And when someone who loves powersports is behind the creation of new powerful sporting machines, you know there is going to be an epic outcome.

This is the improved generation of bike models. This is where this was always leading. This is stronger, higher, faster over dirt or snow. This is everything you always wanted and more.

This is the buzz that surpasses all expectations. The buzz in Canada for these new YETI’s has already reached fever pitch and has created the foreseeable and understandable outcome of a fully booked manufacturer. The demand is high and keeps growing. The demand is nearly as high as the new lightweight and powerful YETI jumping a snow ramp, but not quite.

The carbon fibre concept is made at 3MB

But how is it even possible? How can the YETI be THIS MUCH improved I hear you ask. It’s a sensible question and one that has only been answered after years of testing, of prototypes, of toil and tears. Two and a half years of hard work, and of cooperation with top manufacturers all over the world. But it would not be possible without the carbon fibre concept. That is the magic ingredient.

The increased power, the limitless possibilities and the increased speed over both snow and dirt terrains is only possible with the addition of the carbon fibre concept, and this key and most high-tech component is made at 3MB.

The carbon fibre structure is unbreakable and is made to support the “no limit” effect. This allows for the extreme ride you can now have with the new YETI on both dirt and snow.

How the carbon fibre concept works

The inlaid graphics under high gloss clear-coated carbon fibre makes the YETI aesthetics go up one more notch. The part is laminated in a mould then vacuum bagged and cured in an autoclave at 6 bars to evacuate all the bubbles from the structure.

The strength of the concept is an incredible low weight ratio combined using aerospace processes calculated by professionals.

Unbelievably, it’s about 16 kilograms lighter than its main competitor and 5 times stronger than steel.

The result is a tremendous powerful new snow sensation that can climb straight up hills without turbo. You had better believe that the world of snow bike sports will not be the same anymore with the YETI on track.

How does it make the ride better?

There are many things that have improved the ride on this new model YETI. As the new carbon fibre concept makes the whole bike weigh less, it naturally has better flotation. This allows riders to get higher and further over jumps. Not to mention the impact the lighter body has on the speeds you can reach.

The new technology has also improved the gear controls, meaning you can shift into higher gears with better handling when climbing; something that other bikes just can’t achieve.

As mentioned above, all of these improvements would not have been possible without the exceptionally skilled  team of  technicians and experienced motocross and snowmobile fanatics who spent months and years agonising over each separate part. This beautiful and powerful bike did not happen by accident.

Each of the components in the YETI SNOWMX conversion kit are the result of several generations of design thoroughly tested, and where better to have tested them than in the harshest environment where the results stood out for themselves: Canada.

In this unforgivable terrain only the best bikes will do well, only the strongest and most capable technologies can survive. It was tested like this with improvements made until the team was satisfied with the result, and that was no mean feat.

The YETI SNOWMX is available through your local dealer, or from their website at https://yetisnowmx.ca/

Carbon fibre in other industries

Although the use of carbon fibre is increasing exponentially, it is not new to other industries. It has been used in the automotive industry, to improve bicycles and even in super cars. With all the benefits mentioned above, it is easy to see why.

There are also other uses of carbon fibre and if you would like to know more about this interesting and futurist material please see here.

An Autoclave is a big steel vessel which has cylindrical compartments which allow steam or any other gas to be circulated at higher pressures and temperatures. So basically, it can be thought of as an enlarged, advanced version of a pressure cooker. Most common materials cured in an autoclave are advanced composites such as carbon fiber and epoxy resins.

When concerning the history which led to the formation of the modern day Autoclave, there are some specific developments throughout history that are worth mentioning. Although at the time these discoveries or inventions were made, they had no idea that it would lead to the invention of the Autoclave, they have included few of the basic principles behind the Autoclave.

• The usage of boiling water for the sterilization of medical tools by the ancient Greeks.
• This was a strong evidence for the fact that they had the knowledge that heat could destroy germs or microorganisms which is the basic principle in the usage of the Autoclave as a sterilizer.
• The invention of the steam pressure cooker in 1679 by Denis Papin, a French engineer.
• As mentioned earlier, the Autoclave can be thought of as an enlarged pressure cooker, and the principles behind the two are similar.
• Confirmation of the germ theory of disease in 1860s by Louis Pasteur, a French biologist.
• His finding that heating instruments to eradicate germs can prevent thee catching of diseases, which is a usage of the Autoclave.
• Finally, the invention of the autoclave by Charles Chamberland in 1880, who was a collaborator of Louis Pasteur.

The main industrial use of the Autoclave comes from, its usage in the process of killing germs in reusable material. Ever wonder what happens to all those surgical instruments such as the surgical knives and scissors after a surgery? Well, the answer is that they are simply reused. There may be a doubt in some, that will all the equipment be fully cleansed with the more commonly known methods such as using sanitizers.

The answer is No, but you do not have to worry since, that is when the role of the autoclave plays its part, all those surgical instruments are put inside the autoclave and are cleansed free of all those microorganisms or more commonly known as germs. Not only is it used to kill germs in fields such as medicine, but also it is used to sanitize equipment in places such as nail salons.

The ability for the salons to reuse the same equipment to clean things such as toe nails of different people with the same equipment without passing on those disgusting fungi from one person to another is all due to the Autoclave, after each treatment all those equipment are put inside the Autoclave and sanitized.

Apart from the main sanitization usage, industrially, the Autoclave has many other usages too. It can be utilized to carry out various types of industrial processors and scientific experiments. Though, in most of these cases, unlike in sterilizing, where steam is used, various other sorts of gasses are passed through the Autoclave to achieve different outcomes, whether it be catalyzing a reaction or curing a metal. Some such examples for these are,

• The vulcanization of rubber, where it is first then toughened and then hardened with sulfur.
• Aiding in the synthesis of nylon by encouraging the condensation polymerization reaction.
• Production of polythene by circulating organic peroxide or air to aid with the polymerization of ethylene.
• Production of materials for airplanes which are typically done by curing, which is to apply heat to encourage the forming of long chained polymer molecules.

How does it Work?

As mentioned twice earlier, the Autoclave can be thought of as an enlarged pressure cooker, and the process behind the pressure cooker is, water inside the pan is heated up which causes some of those molecules to form steam which is not allowed to escape, increasing the pressure inside. And as the theory states, the increase in pressure causes the boiling point of water to increase, giving the ability to cook food inside a pressure cooker faster.

Similarly, within an Autoclave, steam is or any other gas is allowed to pass through the compartments situated inside, which in medical cases contain the instruments needed to be sterilized. With time as the steam continuously goes in, the temperature and pressure within those compartments increase, and then those factors are maintained at those elevated levels long enough for all the microorganisms or germs which are living on the equipment to be eradicated.

Over the past few decades the construction field has developed in a way which cannot be explained to a normal person. It is due to the fact that with new findings and new technology scientists have been able to invent new types of materials that were never thought of. Carbon fiber is one such type of versatile material. In this article we are going to talk about how Carbon fiber has helped to develop the construction sector of the world.

First it will be useful to identify what factors help Carbon fibers of these new accomplishments. The versatile properties of carbon fiber include high stiffness, high tensile strength, high chemical resistance, high temperature tolerance and low thermal expansion. These make them one of the most popular and used material in Civil engineering possessing strength up to five times that of steel and being lighter in weight, we might as well call it ‘the superhero’ of the material world. Indeed it is the “Superhero”. It is also called graphite fiber or carbon graphite. Carbon fiber is made of very thin strands of the element Carbon.

Carbon fibers have high tensile strength and are very strong for their size. In fact, carbon fiber can be the strongest material. Carbon fibers consist of a high elastic modulus and fatigue strength when compared to glass fibers, making them ideal for the construction industry. Considering service life, it has been suggested that carbon fiber reinforced polymers have more potential than agamid and glass fibers. Carbon fiber reinforced polymers also are highly chemically resistant and have high temperature tolerance with low thermal expansion and corrosion resistance. So what else to talk about its application when it comes to the Construction industry? So let us see now how carbon Fiber is used in Construction.

Repairing stressed structures

In the case of reinforced (RC) or pre stressed concrete (PC) structures, a new repair technology involves the use of externally bonded FRP (Fiber reinforced plastics) laminates. Similar to steel plate bonding, the FRP laminate bonding involves adhere a thin, flexible fiber sheet to the concrete surface with a thermos set resin. This technique is used to increase the shear and flexural capacity of beams and slabs and to increase confinement in columns. The system does not add significant dead load to the structure, suffers less from corrosion, and may be installed in a relatively short period of time.

The uses of near surface mounted (NSM) FRP rods is another promising new technology for increasing flexural and shear strength. Benefits of using near surface mounted FRP rods, when compared to superficially bonded FRP laminates are the possibility of anchoring the rods into adjacent members and less installation time. Another benefit of this method is the particularly attractive nature for flexural strengthening in the negative moment regions of slabs and decks, where external strengthening will be subjected to mechanical and environmental damage and would require protective cover which could interfere with the presence of floor finishes.

The above mentioned technique can also be used to repair bridges.

Current trends in construction toward repair and rehabilitation have emphasized the need to provide additional strength to such existing structures. Structures that experience a change in use or a degradation problem, or a design/construction defect normally require some degree of strengthening.

Using of carbon fiber in precast concrete

This field is relatively new and rapidly in progress. Carbon fibers in precast concrete started to appear in quantity-production from 2003. Now it is a very common material for precast elements in the North America. A carbon fiber grid is used in the panel faces to replace steel mesh reinforcement, and as a mechanical link to the outer and inner sections of a concrete wall. Non-corrosive carbon fiber grid strengthening in the wall panel face allows less use of concrete, which reduces weight and raw material used. The wall panels with carbon fiber grid reinforcement weighs about 40% less than conventional precast panels.

It is used as a shear grid to connect the inner and outer concrete exterior of sandwich wall panels, creating a fully structurally compound, thermally efficient unit. Carbon fiber grid is integrated as reinforcing in the double tee slab to replace conventional steel mesh. Replacing welded gird with carbon fiber grid in the slabs reduces weight and the need of protection from chemicals.

Carbon Fiber in Bridge construction

Another field of applying carbon fiber is bridge construction. Since 1992 there have been built many footbridges were constructed mostly from fiber reinforced compounds. The main purpose for application of carbon fiber reinforced plastic was to provide bridge weight reduction and economy of lifting equipment.

Construct houses to withstand tornadoes.

When tornadoes tore across the Midwest, they set their fury against buildings made from wood, steel and concrete architectural components which were used to construct homes a hundred years ago. For the people looking for a new start, new types of materials might be able to provide the resistance to weather disasters those century-old housing technologies could not provide. Originally designed for building military bases, Concrete Cloth is a cement-impregnated fabric that functions same way as a plaster cast, except on a much bigger scale. Giant rolls of this clothe spool the fabric out across uneven ground of hastily made frames. Spraying the material with water begins a chemical reaction that, after some drying, results in a low profile structure strong enough to resist whatever Mother Nature can throw at it. Concrete Cloth is easy enough to work with and costs cheap enough to provide communal shelters for the residents of trailer parks and houses without storm cellars.

Carbon fiber is a good substitute of steel filaments in fiber-concrete. The fibers, used for fiber concrete are usually cheap cellulose or PAN-based fibers that gave less thermal conductivity when compared  with steel and also provide good cohesion when use with concrete. This solution is good for high loaded floors and roads. In fiber-cement, carbon fibers replace asbestos, because carbon fiber does not provoke any inhalation problems.

Giving metallic material a run for their money in the bicycling industry is none other than carbon fiber. With its obvious benefits over traditional material, carbon fiber constructed bicycles are the ones the professional cyclists and the best in industry swear by. Bike Frames made out of carbon fiber composites offer performance benefits that are hard to ignore, and it is also the main reason why the entire pro-level road cycling circuit is rooting for it

Simply put, Carbon Fiber composites stands for carbon fiber reinforced polymer, and is a super-strong but light material formed through a combination of polymer resin, like epoxy, with the reinforcement of carbon fiber. As a result carbon fiber has been fast replacing other materials in industries where weight and strength are primary requirements. The bicycle industry is one such industry where it is making its presence felt.

Use of Carbon Fiber in Bicycle Industry

The use of carbon fiber has drastically increased in the last decade. It is now considered the most omnipresent bicycle material around, and fast joining the ranks of the most common applications of carbon fiber.

The most common use of the carbon fiber in bicycles is as primary material for bike frames. However, it finds a notable amount of use in other bike components as well. For bike frames – lightness and stiffness are the two major advantages that the material offers in comparison to its counterparts. Carbon fiber enables the building of super light and stiff, frames in state of the art designs that previously seemed impossible. Various types of carbon fiber components goes into the making of bike frames, while tensile strength and tensile modulus are characteristics that are focused on. Tensile strength signifies the force required to break the fibers, while tensile modulus is a specification measuring the stiffness.

Grades of carbon fiber are used according to their tensile strength and tensile modulus. While the cost varies according to grades, directly proportional to the strength and tensile modulus.

Why Carbon Fiber?

Like the usage of carbon fiber in the automotive industry, the bicycle industry also focuses on speed achieved through better acceleration because of lightweight construction. Also, with carbon fiber it is possible to make strong bike frames, that are durable and easily formed into shapes. Carbon fiber can help achieve futuristic bike designs providing better balance and faster speeds, which previously were not viable with other traditional material owing to their heavy weight properties. However, carbon fibers inherent lightweight properties makes it easier to incorporate aerodynamic efficiencies for faster speed. The material therefore finds widespread use in racing bikes.

Construction of Carbon Fiber Frames and Layup

A lot goes into manufacturing of carbon fiber. And then, the real process of construction of the bike frame begins. Though, these processes also vary and depend on the end results sought.

In “Tube to Tube construction”, cylindrical tubes are joined with adhesives and lugs in some instances, in the similar fashion of steel tubing. While a “Monocoque construction” procedure involves forming frames with a single piece.

The real sorcery lies in the layup though, where the stiffness of the frames can be fine tuned to desired level. Stiffness properties in carbon fiber are unidirectional, and has maximum strength along the long axis of fibers. Therefore, stiffness is tuned according to the fiber orientation and placement in the molds. This also means unidirectional fibers are stronger than woven ones.

Different grades of carbon, shapes and location of the carbon fiber in the molds determines the rigidity and lightness, and processes are set in place to optimize according to required results.

Maintenance and Repair

Contrary to the myth that carbon fiber frames are done for once they suffer damage, it is very much repairable. Damaged parts of bike frames made out of carbon fiber can be replaced or repaired just like steel or aluminum made parts. The process involves, cutting out of damaged part or area and replacing with fresh material, which is then painted over to cover signs of damage.

However, due to the complex nature of repairs for carbon fiber bike frames, it is best left to professionals, who can fix your bike in a jiffy!

A Chic Protective Layer

Lastly, but certainly not the least, woven carbon fiber are used to add a cosmetic layer to the underlying unidirectional fiber. As a top layer the chic looking woven skin, not only protects the real structure against scratches but also adds an aesthetic value to the overlook look of the bike. Sometimes this layer might be given a miss, but nothing beats the jet black and attractive classic fiber look if it a suave looking bike you are looking for!

With the technology behind carbon fiber ever improving and evolving, the following years are likely to see further growth of carbon fiber composites. The bicycle industry is no stranger to the benefits of the miraculous material and sure enough, we shall find even more widespread use for it in the industry in near future.