Carbon fiber composites are widely used in various industries due to their exceptional properties and benefits.
High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: Carbon fiber composites have an incredibly high strength-to-weight ratio, meaning they are strong and lightweight at the same time. This makes them ideal for applications where weight reduction is critical, such as aerospace, automotive, and sports equipment.
Stiffness and Rigidity: Carbon fiber composites exhibit excellent stiffness and rigidity, allowing them to maintain their shape and resist deformation under load. This property is particularly advantageous in industries that require components with high structural integrity and minimal flexing, like aircraft wings, bicycle frames, and robotics.
Corrosion Resistance: Carbon fiber composites are highly resistant to corrosion, unlike metals that can rust or degrade over time. This makes them suitable for applications in harsh environments or exposure to moisture, chemicals, or saltwater. Industries such as marine, chemical processing, and oil and gas benefit from the corrosion-resistant nature of carbon fiber composites.
Fatigue Resistance: Carbon fiber composites have excellent fatigue resistance, meaning they can withstand repetitive cyclic loading without failure. This property is crucial in applications that experience frequent stress or dynamic loads, such as wind turbine blades, automotive suspension components, and sports equipment.
Design Flexibility: Carbon fiber composites offer exceptional design flexibility. They can be molded into complex shapes, allowing manufacturers to create innovative and aerodynamic designs. This flexibility enables improved performance, enhanced functionality, and optimized product aesthetics.
Electrical & Thermal Conductivity: Carbon fibers themselves are electrically conductive, making carbon fiber composites suitable for applications that require electrical conductivity or electrostatic dissipation. This property is advantageous in industries like aerospace, defense, and electronics.
Thermal Stability: Carbon fiber composites have excellent thermal stability and resistance to high temperatures. They can withstand extreme heat without significant degradation, making them suitable for applications in aerospace, automotive engine components, and industrial equipment.
It’s important to note that while carbon fiber composites offer numerous advantages, their high cost of production is a limiting factor in some industries. However, advancements in manufacturing processes and increased demand have led to ongoing efforts to reduce costs and make carbon fiber composites more accessible in a wider range of applications.
What is braiding?
A textile process that yields tubular and serpentine shapes wherein three continuous yarns are interlaced in a single ply – two bias (the +/- axis) and one axial (0 axis).
What is resin transfer molding?
A matched metal tooling closed mold process where in net-shape parts are made via liquid resin injection at pressures up to 300 psi . Unique process properties include tightly toleranced components, co-molding of dissimilar materials e.g. metal, and affordable recurring prices.
Revolution Composites , LLC
Established in 2011 by a team of composites engineers, Revolution was created to carry on the vast textile and composites heritage of New England.
Vision
Our vision at Revolution Composites is to propel American manufacturing forward by continuously improving our capability to produce advanced composite structures for our critical aerospace, government, and military customers.
Mission
Revolution Composites strives to revolutionize the manufacturing of advanced composites through innovations in triaxial braiding and closed molding of polymer composites.
We will accomplish this through the pairing of new and novel high performance fibers with state-of-the-art resin systems to solve the challenges of our military, aerospace, and government customers.
We will rapidly respond to the emerging needs of the marketplace with an eye for developing inventive weight-reduction solutions.
Values
Our mission begins with a company culture that blends both the process focus and discipline of manufacturing engineering with an appreciation for creativity and scientific discovery. Our products are proudly designed and manufactured in the USA.
What are Thermal Control Units (TCUs)?
Used an alternative to steam, electrical, and oil heat Regloplas TCUs are the preferred choice of facilities managers, maintenance staff, and manufacturing engineers.
Due to the inherent energy savings, high temperature spectrum, precise temperature control, and fast ramp rates, pressurized water offers numerous advantages over both systems when applied to composite molding.
With the ability to rapidly heat and cool tooling, Regloplas TCUs can be used in out-of-autoclave manufacturing for thermosets and thermoplastics. Adaptable for RTM, VaRTM, press-cure, and standalone mold cure Regloplas TCUs are also adaptable and rated for use in autoclave tool cooling and curing.
Why electric cartridge and oil-based methods are outdated
Electric cartridge heaters have been used for many years to heat composite molds. They are often a logical choice for their ease of install and operation. Unfortunately, they consume large amounts of electricity to operate, do not offer cooling, and are notorious for inconsistent heating.
Oil heating has been used to heat and cool composite molds, especially in resin transfer molding (RTM) for an equally long period primarily as a carry-over from its use in other plant equipment and plant heating. Unfortunately, oil-based mold heating is very slow to build temperature, consumes large amounts of electricity, and does not fit with the modern greener approach to manufacturing.
Regloplas water-based TCUs are the right solution for advanced composite process control.
Greener solution: Lower facilities operating costs
- Consume 65+% less energy than oil systems
- Heats and cools the tool in the same circuit
- Can replace oil or steam systems while reducing plant floor space requirements by 50%
- With use of quick disconnects allows for modular plant equipment designs/layout
- Low kW heaters (3-15 kW typical) due to fluid cooling of heaters and efficient energy transfer to medium
Safe, Robust, Programmable, and Reliable
- Consistent, programmable curing for molds, tools, and dies
- Can be used to enhance both press or autoclave heating…. and cooling!
- Water units have higher density, specific heat, and thermal conductivity than oil or steam
- High temperature range (440°F) for epoxy, cyanate ester, polyimide, and BMI resin systems
- Fast ramp rates on heat up and rapid consistent cool down
- Precise temperature control (+/-2°F) across the tool
- Safe at line break: low temp water vapor due to decompression