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Whether you’ve been invested in manufacturing products for a long time and are looking for innovative ways to improve the items you sell, or you’re just developing something new and need materials that can go above and beyond what you can achieve by more traditional means, composite products are for you.
For anyone interested in improving upon the products that are already available in today’s market, composites represent the best opportunity available because:
- They cover an enormous range of applications
- The composites industry is currently experiencing impressive developments
- A wide range of types of composites are available
- Composite products are known to achieve things otherwise impossible by any other means
Even if you already know all of this to be accurate, you may not know much about what composite materials are or how they are manufactured. That’s why you need this beginner’s guide to shed some light on composites for the perplexed.
How Composite Materials Work
Composite materials are composed of at least two different unique materials. Usually, one functions as a matrix and the second functions as a reinforcing material. In the case of fibreglass, fine glass fibres are added to a polymer.
Why Create a Composite Material?
Combining these two different substances creates a synthesis to form a new composite material. The reason composite materials are manufactured in this way is that the new material formed can have properties that the prior two source materials do not have. In the previous example, that composite material was fibreglass.
To Illustrate the Point
For example, a carbon fiber composite is developed using fine carbon fibres to reinforce a polymer matrix. In this case, the final product exhibits properties like higher strength, heat resistance, chemical resistance, and impressive strength to weight ratio.
How are Composite Materials Used?
Given the properties of carbon fibre composites just listed, it is easy to see why this particular type of composite material is highly prized for its ability to improve the capacities of many products. That’s why carbon fibre is used in manufacturing
- Airplane Wings
- Automobile Body Parts
- Sporting Equipment
In the first two cases, combining carbon fibres and polymers resulted in vehicles that travel more efficiently yet are also highly durable. In the last case, these new materials enable athletes to achieve more than has ever been possible in the past.
The Future of Composite Materials
To the average person, composite materials can seem to have magical properties. Instead, it is all a matter of extensive scientific research and innovation to develop new building blocks for the future. While engineers are still working on developing better composite materials that can fulfill specific goals, they are also working to lower the costs of manufacturing the composite materials that are already available.
Now that you have a better understanding of what composite materials are and how they are used, it is time to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of the different types of composite materials available. Contact a company that specializes in composite manufacturing to find out more.
You may also like: Five ways 3D printing can benefit your business
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