Carbon Fiber Rapid Prototyping
Kumair offers rapid fabrication services for your prototype and low-volume production carbon fiber parts. Offering a quick turnaround on custom flat CNC carbon fiber parts is not uncommon, but 2-3 week lead-time on custom molded carbon fiber parts is not something many companies offer. Depending on part complexity, we are able to work with customers to refine their design, make the molds, and fabricate fully functional rapid prototype carbon fiber parts in as little as two weeks. We accomplish this by 3D printing prototype molds, perfect for 1-time or low volume use.
Typically, people struggle to integrate custom-molded carbon fiber parts into their designs, particularly early in the process and for projects where only a few assemblies will be constructed because of the long lead-times (often 8-12 weeks) and high costs associated with molded carbon fiber parts. Kumair carbon fiber rapid prototyping service cuts months off your lead-time and at a substantial cost savings. For high volume parts our rapid prototyping service can also save money by allowing engineers to quickly explore multiple designs or iterations. For parts that later move to higher volume production, Kumair has the ability to create aluminum tooling.
The flow chart graphic below shows our carbon fiber rapid prototyping process in detail, in this case for a small curved bracket.
Material and Weave Options for Carbon Fiber Rapid Prototype Parts
Most weave thicknesses and patterns are compatible with our carbon fiber rapid prototyping process. For example, 3k plain and twill weave carbon fiber, fiberglass, Kevlar®, and many other fiber types. Core materials can be added as appropriate into the laminate as well. Depending on the requirements, higher temperature resins can be utilized.
Surface Finish Options
Most surface finish options available on production parts are available on rapid prototype carbon fiber parts. Standard molded surface finishes for rapid prototype carbon fiber parts typically have a slight texture to them, but sanded and spray clear satin finishes are also available if surface cosmetics are important for your application.
If your project requires rapid development of lightweight carbon fiber parts, Kumair's rapid prototyping service may be a good fit. We typically turn around quotes for rapid prototyping within one day and finished parts within 2-3 weeks, depending on complexity. Call or email us today to speak with an experienced composites engineer.