Machining Carbon Fiber: Advantages, Types, Process & Applications
Carbon fiber is a versatile material that can be machined to manufacture versatile components. The process of machining carbon fiber helps to design components for various industries and applications. If you are looking to learn about machining carbon fiber, read below.
What is Carbon Fiber and Its Properties
Carbon fiber has fiber strands; these fibers are locked with the carbon atom chains. They are long and have a crystalline form. These fibers are lightweight and solid and offer high rigidity.
Carbon fiber sheets offer excellent flexibility and strength, and hence, they are suitable for applications in aerospace, sports, and engineering. Carbon fiber has less weight and offers toughness. It is also resistant to corrosion.
Some of the properties of carbon fiber are the following:
- Aesthetic appearance
- Baja dilatación térmica
- Offers high electrical conductivity
- EM transparency
Advantages of Carbon Fiber
There are many advantages of carbon fiber, and some of these are as follows:
- Carbon fiber resists damage from UV and offers excellent corrosion resistance. It is suitable for complex and harsh surroundings.
- Carbon fiber has high abrasion resistance and offers excellent impact strength.
- The permeability of carbon fiber is high, and hence, it is suitable for the medical industry. Hence, it offers high transmittance of X-rays, which tends to reduce the damage to the patients.
- Carbon fiber offers low electrical and thermal conductivity.
Types of Carbon Fiber
The types of carbon fiber are divided into three different categories, with each having a subcategory. The different types of carbon fiber are the following:
Carbon Fiber by Raw Material
PAN Type Carbon Fiber
PAN-type carbon fiber is manufactured using polyacrylonitrile when it is carbonized. It has high strength and elastic modulus, and it is used in aeroespacial and sporting goods.
Pitch Type Carbon Fiber
Pitch-type carbon fiber is manufactured by the carbonization of coal pitch precursors, and it has a low elastic modulus to a high elastic modulus. The fibers that have ultra-high elastic modulus are used in parts that need more stiffness.
Types of Carbon Fiber by Mechanical Properties
Ultra High Elastic Modulus Type
The ultra-high elastic modulus type has a tensile elastic modulus, which is more than 600 GPa; it has a tensile strength that is more than or equal to 2500 MPa. It is used mostly in advanced applications where high stiffness is required, like sports goods and drones.
High Elastic Modulus
A high elastic modulus consists of an elastic modulus between 350 and 600 GPa and tensile strength, which must be 2500 MPa. This type of carbon fiber is mostly used in automobiles, aerospace, and sports equipment.
Intermediate Elastic Modulus
The intermediate elastic modulus has an elastic modulus range between 280 and 350 GPa, and the tensile strength is more than 3500 GPa. It is used in industries that need high performance, like automobiles and aerospace.
Standard Elastic Modulus Type
The standard elastic modulus type has an elastic modulus between 200 and 280 GPa. The strength of this carbon fiber is equal to or greater than 2500 MPa and is suitable for sports equipment, aircraft, and wind turbines.
Low Elastic Modulus
The low elastic modulus type consists of a tensile modulus that is lower than 200 GPa and a tensile strength that is less than or equal to 3500 MPa.
Types of Carbon Fiber by Weaves
Plain Weaves
Plain weave carbon fiber has a symmetrical appearance in the form of a checkerboard pattern. It offers stability with its weave angle and is opted for components that have detailed contours. It is suitable for flat sheets, tubes, and curves.
Twill Weave
Twill weave is a carbon fiber that is easy to shape in order to achieve precise honors and offer pliability. It has a higher hardness than satin weave and has a two-strand that has a number of tows.
Satin Weave
Satin weave has a seamless, smooth, draped look. It offers low stability and high formability. It is used in the textile industry.
How to Machine Carbon Fiber Sheets？
When it comes to looking for carbon fiber machining services, there are different CNC methods, which are as follows:
Fresado CNC
Fresado CNC carbon fiber uses high-speed spindles and has low feed rates; machining them may generate too much heat and may impact the quality. Hence, the feed rates require adjustment.
The thermal conductivity of the carbon fiber is low, and hence, the workpiece tends to retain the major part of the heat, and hence, no chips are released.
Torneado CNC
CNC turning is a method that helps machine carbon fiber components. It creates components on predetermined tolerances and is mostly used for surfaces in circular shapes. The tools used for turning carbon fiber consist of polycrystalline, diamond, cemented carbide, etc. The process comprises various parameters like feed rate, cutting speed, and depth of cut, which impact the quality of surface and tool life.
Perforación
The process of drilling is highly complex and is used for machining carbon fiber composites. These components are equipped with multiple layers of material and hence offer chipping during the process of machining. Moreover, the carbon fiber even creates dust when drilled, and hence affects the electronics.
Rectificado
Grinding carbon fiber consists of removing material from the surface of these composites. It uses abrasive tools, and during the process, dust is also created, which damages the electronics and may even cause irritation on the skin.
Waterjet
Water jet machining is a reliable method that helps to cut composite carbon fiber. The major benefit is that it doesn't need any special tools. The process accumulates the particles of dust in the water, and it offers components with tight tolerances.
Application of Machined Carbon Fiber Parts
There are multiple applications of carbon fiber parts, and some of these are as follows:
Industria aeroespacial
The aerospace industry is the one that has carbon fiber used at its maximum. The parts of aircraft are manufactured using carbon fiber, and it is a great replacement for aluminum and titanium-based parts.
Sports Industry
Carbon fiber is opted for sports equipment like wheels of bicycles, helmets, bicycle frames, etc. The material is lightweight and offers high strength. It is easy for athletes to use in sports due to its lightweight.
Industria del automóvil
The automobile industry uses carbon fiber as it offers high durability and strength, which makes it a versatile option in the automobile sector. The carbon fiber is used in making the frames of cars and many other parts. Due to the lightweight possessed by it, the speed and fuel efficiency of the cars are also improved.
Tips for Machining Carbon Fiber Composites
When machining carbon fiber composites, some of the tips that may help in the process are as follows:
- The hardness of carbon fiber creates wear on tools, and hence, materials like diamond, carbide, and ceramics must be used for tools.
- When carbon fiber is machined, water-based cutting fluid is suggested to be used so that the dust particles are minimized.
- The reaming method after drilling helps to reduce the hole surface roughness and improve its roundness.
Conclusión
Carbon fiber CNC service at DEK can offer you versatile components for various applications. You can have multiple shapes, sizes, and features requested, and the precision and accuracy are commendable. So, get in touch with us for your next project.
