Our learning platform grew throughout 2020, bringing you 40+ blogs on composites and their manufacturing technologies! Some were more popular than others, so we decided to put together a list of the most popular blogs from Addcomposites! To receive more content like this, consider following us on LinkedIn.
1. Carbon Fiber Composites: Processing Guide Processing carbon fiber (CF) composites is a tricky (and sticky!) business, considering most engineers thinking of producing or designing come from a background of designing metallic parts. It's been called black aluminum, and its design and fabrication have been described as black art. What is it, really?
The purpose of this design guide is to provide general information and specifications on carbon fiber composite materials and some guidelines for designing lightweight high-performance products with carbon fiber composites.
2. Additive Manufacturing: Fiber Placement or 3D Printing? A brief introduction.
What are they and how do they differ? Each process has its strengths and weaknesses. In this blogpost, we dive into them and provide insight on how to determine which process is best for your specific application.
3. Advanced Composites Manufacturing: Sandwich Panels
Here we combine the theories discussed in Beam Bending and Fiber Strength, and how to combine them in the world of composites to create strong, lightweight structural parts.
When combined, beam bending and fiber strength can be used to create what is called a Sandwich Panel. Similar to an I-Beam, a sandwich panel places reinforcing material on the top and bottom planes of the beam.
4. Composites: What exactly are they?
When people think of composites, they immediately picture the black carbon fiber weave that is prevalent on high-end sports cars. While that is not incorrect, there is much more to a composite material than that. The very basic definition of a composites material is ...
5. Things to consider when Designing for ATL/AFP Manufacturing
As one of the main steps in the ATL/AFP processes is to use a roller as the final stage of the fiber deposition process, this causes some inherent limitations in the part shape that can be produced. The limitation mainly comes from the mold, minimum fiber width, roller radius, and tool interference.
6. What is OLP, and which software should I incorporate?
Using OLP, the engineer is able to visualize most, if not all, aspects of how the robot will function in real life through the software. This includes:
- Simulation
- Collision detection