how are carbon fibre frames manufacturered?

redddraggon

Any one know how they do it?

mrushton

Around a mould I would a imagine. But there are monocoques eg Pinarello Prince and tube/lug eg Colnago EPS so there will be a different area of production. bound to be something on YouTube or email eg Deda

Kiwi Kranker

mrushton wrote:

Around a mould I would a imagine. But there are monocoques eg Pinarello Prince and tube/lug eg Colnago EPS so there will be a different area of production. bound to be something on YouTube or email eg Deda

If you can find a 2008 Scott product magazine it has a whole article on how they make their carbon frames (sorry I couldnt find it on the web after a quick search), it is surprisingly labour intensive and uses little in the way of 'generic' carbon tubes and lugs and a fair few hand laid up moulds.

Urrrgh that wasnt much help was it.... :?

Chip \'oyler

Wasn't there a Colnago video on the Bike Radar site showing how an EPS is made? But as this is a lugged construction it is based on 'old fashoined' bike building techniques.

As for monocoque moulds - I don't know. Just type in Taiwan in google

nicensleazy

http://insider.bikeradar.com/colnago/vi ... in-detail/

redddraggon

I was really looking for what type of processes they use e.g.

-hand lay up
-spray lay up
-RIM/RRIM/SRIM
-RTM
-filament winding
-pultrusion
-compression moulding
-vacuum moulding

etc etc....

Googling just gives Primary School Materials Science :roll:

Infamous

http://www.bmeres.com/carbonframe1.htm

redddraggon

Infamous wrote:

http://www.bmeres.com/carbonframe1.htm

Good stuff, quite interesting

rob_spedding

There will be an article in an upcoming issue in CPlus v.soon explaining all. Promise.

redddraggon

Rob Spedding wrote:

There will be an article in an upcoming issue in CPlus v.soon explaining all. Promise.

Too late, I've got my final exams in Composites for my MEng tomorrow

rob_spedding

Good luck!

mrushton

Time actually weave their own CF in France whereas others eg Wilier buy it in from eg Mitsubishi. Giant also make their own CF. Colnago C40 lugs were carbon-wrapped titanium and I'm guessing they were laid-up by hand. ProCycling had a giveaway a couple of years ago on frame makers eg Guru and Parlee. Email them and see what they say. Also Serotta and the Serotta forum.

bobpzero

this guy prefers the "y" frame
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/howibuil.htm

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/carbon_fiber.htm

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/carbonTTframe.htm
& what can go wrong
http://www.bhpc.org.uk/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=635

yourmom

They're all made from cloth and glue. Daft idea for a bike if you ask me. They should all be made from rod, iron rod. So that the real manly riders can sit behind a keyboard instead of their bars and discuss who's rod is stiffer when being "hammered" by their "immense thighs"...