Carbon Fiber Parts from 3d Printed Molds

[markni...@gmail.com]

I don't know if this topic is of general interest to anyone else but me, but there is an excellent Youtube video on making Carbon Fiber parts from 3d printed molds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ND2WtEZatY

[Randy Zimmer]

Since I make tubes, I did a test part surrounding the ABS part with my laminate and bagged it.

After it cured, I threw it in acetone and melted the ABS out.

Pretty easy, no draft angles to worry about, no parts stuck in a mold, no bonding, no layer lines on the outside.

I'd really recommend bagging any way you can, it squishes all the strands together also expels the excess resin and air.

Working the part inside a bag keeps your hands and tools clean too.

I bag fiberglass.

[markni...@gmail.com]

Randy,

That is a clever application which I had not thought of, using ABS as a soluble support.

I don't know the end application for your ABS tubes, but I would imagine that the carbon fiber versions will be nearly indestructible.

[Randy Zimmer]

I got into 3D to make the molds but found that the parts were fine for the application and even better than the carbon I was using.

The parts are brake cooling ducts for race cars.

The carbon ones were expensive, no matter how they're made, could damage tires easily and are not compliant to forces put on them.

All these things are better with the ABS ducts.
The best part is I can sit back and just collect them as they are finished and not do all the work the carbon ones took.

I print with pellets that I stockpile multiple years' worth, so I have no supply and shipping bottlenecks for raw materials.

Pretty sweet!

rooducts.com