Forged Carbon Fiber Fabrication

Forged Carbon Fiber

Forged carbon fiber, also known as carbon forged composite, is a unique variation of carbon fiber material that offers distinct visual and mechanical properties. Unlike traditional carbon fiber composites, which are made of woven carbon fiber fabric, forged carbon fiber features a random and marbled pattern with a unique aesthetic appeal.

The manufacturing process for forged carbon fiber involves the following steps:

1. Forged Carbon Formation: Similar to traditional carbon fiber composites, forged carbon fiber is made with carbon fibers saturated with resin. These fibers are cut to varying lengths, typically less than an inch long.
2. Fiber Alignment: In the case of forged carbon fiber, the carbon fibers are oriented randomly, unlike the uniform alignment typically seen in traditional composites. Carbon fiber tow is cut into smaller pieces and then mixed with a resin matrix.
3. Compression Molding: The mixture of carbon fiber and resin is placed into a mold and subjected to high pressure and heat. The compression molding process helps distribute the resin evenly and eliminates voids within the material.
4. 
   Curing: The mold with the carbon fiber and resin mixture undergoes a curing process, where heat and pressure are applied to activate the resin and induce a chemical reaction that hardens the material. The curing process typically takes place in an autoclave or a specialized oven.
5. Post-processing: After curing, the forged carbon fiber material is removed from the mold and may undergo additional processes such as trimming, sanding, and polishing to achieve the desired surface finish and dimensional accuracy.

The resulting forged carbon fiber material exhibits a marbled or swirled pattern due to the random orientation of the carbon fibers. This pattern can vary from one piece to another, making each forged carbon fiber component unique. The aesthetic appeal of forged carbon fiber has made it popular in luxury and high-performance applications such as automotive parts, watches, sporting goods, and high-end consumer products.

In terms of mechanical properties, forged carbon fiber offers comparable strength and stiffness to traditional carbon fiber composites. However, the random fiber alignment can lead to isotropic properties, meaning the material's mechanical characteristics are similar in all directions. This can provide advantages in certain applications where isotropic properties are desirable, such as impact resistance and vibration damping.

Overall, forged carbon fiber showcases a visually striking appearance while maintaining the inherent benefits of carbon fiber composites, making it a sought-after material in various industries.

Helpful Products

Item	Why?
Epoxy Resin	Use System 2000 Epoxy Resin to maximize the physical properties of carbon fiber, KEVLAR®, and fiberglass laminates.
Chopped Graphite Fibers	Easily-molded chopped graphite fibers offer good translation of mechanical and electrical properties.
Carbon Tow	Carbon Tow can be used with a filament winder to create tubes, or used with our #1171-A Air Driven Chopper Gun to create chopped graphite fibers.
Chopper Gun	A Chopper Gun is used to automatically chop and deposit fiberglass gun roving strands into a mold or composite part.