After some successes making simple parts for my westfield I am looking into a winter project of swopping out the aluminium floor to a composite one. (20 years of abuse has left the aluminum a bit dinged)
I am probably going to use Diolen for a bit of impact resistance but can I get away with a 100% Diolen stack or should I put in a carbon layer? for stiffness.
Aluminium floor is currently 1.5mm any recomendations as to a Diolen floor thickness?
Will be done with Resin infusion.
is there any issue I need to worry about while producing a larger flat sheet i.e more resin feeds or exotherms
Size will be 1m x 2.5m ish
 

Cheap compared to carbon so a good choice for the floors.

I made the floors for my Elan out of 2 layers of carbon either side of a 5mm foam core, virtually unbendable! If I made them again I would use 3mm foam and a lighter carbon as they are overbuilt. Standing on the floor (which was simply sitting on the chassis frame) and there was no discernible deflection.

If you like the occasional trip into the "kitty litter" then a layer of diolen as the bottom layer of cloth will certainly help with impact resistance and abrasion resistance on the floor.

It is always surprising just how effective a cored structure can be.


Warren Penalver
Easy Composites / Carbon Mods - Technical Support Assistant

Thanks both
Trip to EC for supplies soon then!
Steve looks like your elan floor is suspended on top of the chassis, where as my westfield floor it is hung underneath and rivited so i might not get away with a foam core