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 Why choose Carbon fiber?
The carbon fiber composite has superior mechanical characteristics. It
has a great ability to decrease vibrations and by correctly directing
the fibers, you obtain at each point the desired characteristics of
strength and resistance. The other side of the coin is the extreme
specialization and precise fields of use. The resins used in the
production of carbon fiber, have usage temperature limits of 90°C. The carbon fiber composite has a thermal expansion coefficient 50 times less
than that of aluminum, therefore a great deal of attention must be paid
to joining the aluminum and composites. This all requires a great
design effort. The product must be studied in depth in the design
stage. Finished elements analysis allows us to map the strains and
therefore the correct structuring of the piece. Columbus has provided
in its assembly instruction manuals for the carbon parts, precise
instructions to frame makers to avoid errors and problems.
Composite material is defined as a material obtained through the
union of two or more materials that are chemically or physically
distinct on a macroscopic level and are insoluble, having properties
that are technologically superior to those of its components in one or
more aspect.
There are also composite materials in nature, such as wood. The
first applications of composites can be dated back to ancient Egypt
when the bricks were made of clay mixed with chopped straw. Modern
composites consist of the union of a filling material (matrix) with a
reinforcing material. The most common are composites in which the
reinforcement consists of fiber and the matrix is a polymer resin.
These are very common in the aerospace industry where their superior
mechanical characteristics and lightweight are highly appreciated.
There are diverse methods for producing composite products. The one
used by Columbus requires a first stage in which the layers of prepreg
(unidirectional carbon fiber immersed in a partially-polymerized epoxy
matrix) are arranged in a mold following the directions of greatest
strains. Once the mold is closed, it is put in an autoclave to complete
the polymerization of the resin (thereby giving the product its final
constancy) with a curing cycle (pressure and temperature cycle in the
autoclave). Finally, the resulting product is extracted from the mold
and goes on to the finishing operations.
The composites chosen by Columbus use: High Tensile Strength Carbon Fiber T-700,
a material generally used to make parts of the wings and the fuselage
of airplanes. It has highly superior mechanical resistance
characteristics. It's the point of departure for every good fiber
product (such as on the Link, Muscle, Super Muscle and Carve forks and stays and the XLR8R Carbon tubes) High Modulus Carbon Fiber. It is 10% stronger and 20% lighter than T-700. It is used in addition to T-700 (for example on the forks and stays of Muscle, Super Muscle and Carve) because it combines with the superior mechanical characteristics the former, optimizing resistance, strength and lightness. High Strength Unidirectional Carbon Fiber ET Epoxy, suitable for structures in which an optimal balance is sought between strength and resistance.
Carbon is one of the most important elements on earth in that the
entire organic, animal and vegetable world is based on the chemistry of
its composites. Even though it is only present in low percentages in
the earth's crust at approx. 0.03%, carbon, such as fossil carbon and
petroleum, constitutes the most important source of fuel and chemical
industrial products. The two crystalline forms, called allotropic, with
low carbon density (weight/volume), diamond and graphite, have a
special crystallographic structure, that at a macroscopic level
generates superior properties of resistance to mechanical strains. |
