Hi guys

I'm Rob, currently in the UK. I'm here to talk carbon fibre and its limitations, and get guidance on a very ambitious project that I'm looking at doing!

So - a couple of generalised questions first off:

What are the pressure limitations of carbon fibre? Any particular sort of method to moulding that will give a better pressure rating?
What kind of extreme angles can I get out of carbon fibre?

Cheers!

Rob

Hi Rob

What are you intending to make ? i am sure if you let other forum members know and include some images it would help regarding a response.

Chris

Hi

I'm looking at making the body of a paintball marker - since it is still techinically in development I'm not supposed to release the pictures, but it looks a lot like this:



What I'm looking at doing is making the entire gripframe out of a hollow bit of carbon fibre, which will then be vented through a stacked-tube spool valve system. The pressure contained within the body would be around 180ish psi for the operating pressure, but'd I'd like to make it so it can easily sustain 850psi (in case the air regulator fails)

The idea behind it is to make an insanely light marker.

I saw a program on How Its Made and they were making barbecue propane tanks out of glass fiber. I am not sure what pressures that deals with. Carbon would be infinitely stronger. Your going to have to test it. Or find a testing lab that has the numbers on that.
Fred

Well, I've got a carbon fibre bottle that holds 4500psi I have no idea as to the wall thinkness of the tank though.

As far as material testing - first I need to make it. I've got an idea of having a mould, but I wouldn't know how to join the two halves together, and seeing as it is a pretty complicated, air-holding shape - the joins need to be spectaculararly good. Any ideas anyone?