Talk Composites - The Forum for Advanced Composites

Looking to machine flat panels

http://www.talkcomposites.com/Topic3615.aspx

By Dan_H - 11/30/2012 12:17:59 PM

Hello everyone,

I'm a new member to the forum and I'm looking for some advice on how best to machine carbon fibre panels.

Reading a previous post about how to make flat panels has been very helpful and my aim is to make purely decorative CF panels to use as a nameplate for a display stand I'm currently working on. I'd like to 'engrave' onto the panel and in fill with paint and then machine around to cut the desired shape out.

What is the best method to use (laser cut, CNC machine, water jet etc.) to enable me to:

1. engrave onto the surface so as not to cut completely through the panel

and then

2. completely cut out a perfect edge around my engraving

Also, as this is completely non-structural am I better off using a substitute to carbon such as Diolen to make this less expensive? Are there any differences to machining Diolen against Carbon?



Thanks in advance guys!
By prairiecustomcomposites - 12/31/2012 10:29:30 PM

Here is a completely silly thought that I have not tried - truly just thought of this on the spot. For engraving, if you wanted to engrave someone's name for example, you could heat up lettered stamps (maybe 60 or 70 degrees Celsius), and press them into the top layer of resin (assuming you had not post-cured it yet). This may make the resin flexible enough that it would re-form that around the lettered stamp, and give you a slight indentation so you could in-fill with paint...or it may completely ruin the surface finish of your nice carbon fiber piece Tongue That is what test samples are for!

Well, that's enough ridiculous ideas for one day.

-Mike-