PICKLE

This goes out to people like Stuart Knight/Rob O'neill etc, but if anyone can help that'll be great!.

Can a sheet of Carbon Fibre be bent in anyway???
Can it be heated, then bent to form a 90' angle for instance??
Where can I buy a small (1/2 metre squared say) sheet of genuine carbon from??

Thanks

Brit_in_Japan

Carbon fibre panels can be created in almost any shape, but once in that shape all you can do is cut them or machine them. Their shape is fixed once they been through the production process, i.e. carbon fibre ply or mats need to be laid down and resin used to "glue" them together. They then get placed into autoclaves (high temperature and high pressure ovens) to cure the resin. A large panel may be bent *very slightly* for fitting purposes, depending on the thickness/strength in the direction of bending, but they are not metal and cannot be formed like metal after curing has taken place.

mark1234

Yes - to a point - but it'll return to it's original shape, whether in one piece or 2

The practical answer to your question is a resounding NO. I'd also question whether it can (usefully) be laid up with a true 90 deg bend as the fibres within the matt will break outside of the resin if bent through a tight enough radius. In other words there would need to be a (small) radius on the 90 deg bend even if laid up in that shape.

PICKLE

So who can make me a nice Carbon lid to go on my airbox then??

Its fairly simple, just 2x small (1 inch) 90' bends, and a 45' bend on a flat sheet of carbon.

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Do it with thin Ali sheet, unless you're a tart

PICKLE

I am a tart tho!

harvey

iTrader: (48)

Carbon fibre is not like plastic so while a sheet is pliable and will bend in a curve, just like a thin sheet of steel for instance but unlike the steel, it will break on an accute angle. Heat does not effect a tight bend.
alluminium absobs heat.

PICKLE

Got Rob Oneill on the case. As Harvey said, don't want to use Ally, as it absorbs too much heat. Have the box currently done in plastic, but would like the lid in Carbon to match other parts in the engine bay.

(I only asked as I wanted to buy a sheet of carbon, and make the lid myself, but alas, I can't )