Ways to cure carbon...

[RBbugBITme]

Does anyone have any notes/book/online material that discusses the various ways to cure a carbon part? By that I mean vacuum bagging, resin infusion, and whatever other techniques there may be.

Our team is waiting for competition car composites to come in. We have never made a structural component that held together, only exterior thin layer body panels.

[RBbugBITme]

Just found this.

http://www.fiberglasstechnique.com/index.php

[sr20goofus]

resin infusion goes along with vacuum bagging as a way to form a part and get the resin into the part equally.

Using an Autoclave is the baller sh*t to do dry carbon layup for ultra light weight parts. Tho it is the most expensive.

What kind of "structural" components are you thinking of making?

[RBbugBITme]

Yeah I'm getting some terminology mixed up. We have always done a wet lay up and then used the vacuum bag to suck the extra out. We're going to try and set up the resin infusion or like http://www.fibreglast.com/documents/361.pdf says, VIP.

Steering shafts and suspension arms are on the list, spring and shock mounts, half shafts... you name it. 4-5 year goal for full carbon monocoque.

[TSJ]

Yeah I'm getting some terminology mixed up. We have always done a wet lay up and then used the vacuum bag to suck the extra out. We're going to try and set up the resin infusion or like http://www.fibreglast.com/documents/361.pdf says, VIP.

Steering shafts and suspension arms are on the list, spring and shock mounts, half shafts... you name it. 4-5 year goal for full carbon monocoque.

sounds like the TU grav bug has bitten you

[RBbugBITme]

TU Graz, Lehigh, whoever... we weigh over 50lbs more than the best teams in the world and our latest unadjusted endurance time was only 27 seconds slower than the winners over 22km. We are pigs at 515lbs!

Plus, any team members looking to get into the aerospace or motorsport industry are at a disadvantage not having composite experience.

[TSJ]

TU Graz, Lehigh, whoever... we weigh over 50lbs more than the best teams in the world and our latest unadjusted endurance time was only 27 seconds slower than the winners over 22km. We are pigs at 515lbs!

Plus, any team members looking to get into the aerospace or motorsport industry are at a disadvantage not having composite experience.

I go to texas a&m and i know that we always looked at the cost and strength and carbon never was viable(granted i have not gotten to take the class that builds the car). Good ole 4130 and dacron come out on top for us. I can definitely see your point about becoming experienced with composites as almost a requirement for a future in industry. I wish ya'll luck in formula, we're moving on to hybrid this year.

[RBbugBITme]

Thanks. Its not a question of cost though if you get your carbon donated (we have) and you can find a sponsor with the capabilities of making the monocoque for you for free or very cheap. Thats how most teams can afford it, it just takes a strong sponsorship team.

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From my experiences, the best way to learn composites is to watch a professional do it. I still am meaning to buy a few of the DVDs from fiberglast. I read material and an entire book on motorsport composites and there are just so many small things that you learn everytime you lay something up. It is very discouraging the first few times but once you get something at least 75% of what you dreamt it would be, you get addicted.

[RBbugBITme]

Awesome tip on fibre glast, we might buy all of their dvd's. Our alumni owns stealth composites but he's MIA and I think wants nothing to do with us so we're stuck learning on our own.

[Umai Kakudo]

The final March issue of SCC had a good article on carbon basics.

[RBbugBITme]

Scanned copy....?