Carbon Fiber Resin Infusion with Compoflex 3 in 1
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ก.ย. 2024
- Hi everyone, my name is Matthieu (MAT2) and I’ll guide you through this tutorial.
Compoflex is a 3 part system that involves a peelply, infusion mesh and release film, A traditional lay up would be peelply followed by an infusion mesh and optional a release perforated film
In this video we’ll be using a glassplate as a mould to create a carbon fiber veneer.
A good release is needed that’s why we’ll be using the easy lease from easy composites to have a good release for the two plates that we are creating in this tutorial.
For this tutorial I’ve used two glass plates to create a good comparison between the traditional lay up and the compoflex lay up. For both plates I’ve used a specialist finish carbon fiber: a 240gram square metre twill weave (tight weave with good visual properties) followed by black stuff from easy composites. As mentioned in the video, mostly cheap would mean bad in composites. Here we are talking about a backing layer that is here for reinforcement. Blackstuff is made exactly for that! I would never use it as a finishing layer. As a backing layer it servers it’s purpose for a good price.
I would never use blackstuff as a finishing layer but very good as a backing layer! As well blackstuff is 1/3th of the price.
In this set up I have two perfectly similar lay up, with only a difference in vacuum supply, one with the tradtional set up: peelply and flow mesh the other one being compoflex.
Common mistakes with surface finish is using to much tack spray (fusion fix) do not ever use it directly on your mould, and while in use use it in a light mist on your parts. Never spray directly on your mould as it might cause a milky result or pinholes in your part.
I’ve used masking tape to have a good comparison between the two parts. Two plates were prepared for a resin infusion. Two rules that are very important for good results is having a fully sealed vacuum and not using to much spray tack. As for the resin I’m using IN2 epoxy resin from easy composites with fast and slow hardener.
The positive things about using compoflex are:
+ easy and fast lay up
+ it’s cheap in some way ( 10€ square metre)
+ low resin absorbtion
- Hard 3D lay up
- No resin break
- Not adjustable
About traditional technique:
+ it’s cheap
+ adjustable with flow mesh
+ low resin absorption
+ easier for 3D shapes
+ control with resin break
- Extra steps in lay up
In the next video I’ll make the watch case using this carbon fiber veneer so stay tuned!
For more information and technical data sheets I suggest you to visit the Easy Composites Website:
www.easycomposi...
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Those surfaces came out nice! I really like how you show the ratio calcs. and the pros and cons. Compoflex is a little harder to use on compound surfaces but you can overlap it with thicker layups - or cut it back 10-20mm from corners and just cover the exposed laminate with strips of peel ply. I would also cut it back from the outlet side and add a strip of peel ply to make a resin break - same way you'd hold back the flow media.
Glad to hear you liked those parts, was afraid some people would find it to long or boring 😊
Always nice to see a new video. Good as always.
Interesting product
Thanks!
I'm using compoflex all the time. Awesome product. I would strongly advise having a resin break by just adding a little strip of peel ply on the vacuum side and cutting the compoflex a couple cm short.
Stacking works without problems either. Only negative is the 3d formability as you mentioned as well. Price is not an issue in my opinion as it improves the process stability which is worth a lot in an industrial environment.
Would be very interesting to see the compoflex on a complex part to see how it conforms to the shape.
Will probably try that later when I find some time 😉
Great work.. Thank you please do videos about calculation in Composites.
Thanks for your comment, can you tell me in a more specific way what you would like to know about calculations in composites?
Praveen, essentially you use the same weight of resin as the weight of the cloth, plus about 10% extra just to be safe
When vacuum infusion is done to the hull sides in molds... how is the cloth layups done before bagging it and starting the infusion? I'm thinking about what is keeping the cloth in place on the vertical parts... is there some kind of temporary adhesion and if so, what's that product called and how is it applied? 🙂
Great viedo!! I really like your style on how to do the videos and edition. Do you have some material with the Light RTM technology? 👍
Thanks! Not tried rtm light yet... But really want to try it at some point!
That is awesome. My problem is that can't find it in Austria, and now in corona time I would buy in Austria (my home)
Are you talking about easy composites or the compoflex? Have you tried contacting the manufacturer fibertex to know if they have distributers nearby?
@@MatthieuLibeert till now I was buying things at hp textil I germany. Now at corona is it expensive to ship. Yes I talked about compo flex. Since some week we work at Vakuum infusion and we had a lot of problem. First problem was the surface. We always had that spray glue there. Than we got air closed in and the third problem is that out screw from the mould got a lot of resin on them. We use moulds that is build together out more little mould parts. Hope you know what I mean. And now on the and I try to find this complex anywhere here. Maybe for a try I buy it in GB
Thank toy a lot Matthieu for all this videos! This is adjustable or better "drapable" like the traditional method?
defenetly not adjustable or easier to drape, it saves a good amount of time tho for the lay up on big simple parts like boats, windmills, plates. It's also pretty easy to remove at the end
You have a fibre-to-resin ratio of 0.56 with the new method, which I think is excellent, but I thought they usually recommend a fibre to resin ratio of 1:1 to ensure high structural strength?
With Resin infusion on bigger parts I'm mostly at around 39 resin - 61 fiber which is better with resin infusion. 1:1 is more for a wet lay up. The less resin the better normally, as the resin being the weakest part in composite parts. But on a small thin part like here I'm pretty happy with these results.
liking the shears are they way better than scissors ?
yes they are awesome! a bit expensive, but saves a ton of time later on while having to cut fabric
Thanks for another great video Matthieu. Two questions... why do you use two clamps on a single hose? E.g at vacuum side. And is there a reason why the intake is at the other side of the part as the vacuum line side?
Double clamp to be sure the hoses are fully sealed, found out that sometimes there might still be a small leak with these clamps, but it's more to be safe than it is needed. The side of resin in and out doesn't really matter 🙂
@@MatthieuLibeert Thanks for the clear and quick response!
@@MatthieuLibeert Hi Matthieu, one more question. Here I think you use spiral tube at the resin feed side, but in some other video's you seem to use resin break instead. Any specific reason for using one ore the other? Thanks Marco
Did you build your working table?
yes correct, I did! in fact I've just build a new one. Made a tutorial about it that will be uploaded pretty soon!
Is there a way to use this technique to make carbon fiber plates that have a gloss finish on both sides?
you'll need to do it differently then, Or you glue to plates back to back together so you have a gloss side on each side then, Another way would be to infuse with another glass plate on top of it, but might be hard to manage the resin flow through the glass then. Mostly they would use prepreg with hydrolic heated presses for gloss on both sides
Hey Matthieu, just wondering if this product can stretch?
Not really! It is comparable to the stretch of peelply, maybe even less
@@MatthieuLibeert Ok thanks
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