Technology
A factory with state-of-the-art technology, boasting 4000 square meters of roofed surfaces, holds all key elements required for the production of top-quality carbon composite products. The factory consists of a warehouse and cold-storage for raw material and carbon fibers, 4 autoclaves, carbon fiber fabric and core cutting machines, computer-guided machines for the treatment of semi-manufactured products, tailoring room, paint and polishing sections.
Molding
Molding
A programmer, using computer software, sets milling parameters on a 3 axial CNC cutter, which takes a solid square piece of material and transforms it into a desired form with a good quality surface finish (so called CAM – Computer Aided Manufacturing). We use steel, aluminium or composite materials for mould making.
At the end, the polishing section also plays a crucial role, because they bring the surface of the model to a high-gloss finish. Produced tools are coated with various release agents, which prevent adhesion and are as such prepared for mass production.Materials
The materials we use are pre-impregnated fiber- ‘prepreg’, carbon, aramid – kevlar and fiberglass in dry and pre-impregnated form. If needed, we use also other materials and technologies.
Some materials are stored in special cold storage units at -25°C.
We use different resins system that can withstand extreme temperatures varying from -40°C to +400°C with excellent mechanical properties.CNC Cutter
A laminate plan and cuts of individual layers are prepared for all carbon products. All materials are then cut with two CNC cutters, which have cutting speeds of up to 1 m/s. Maximum width of cutting is 2250 mm, while length is infinite.
CNC technology guarantees an accurate cut and maximum utilization of materials.Laminating and Curing
Laminating is done manually, which is the best way to guarantee superior quality. We use various technological procedures, depending on the specific nature of products.
- Wet procedure in which we use dry carbon fabric and different resin systems. Parts of the tool as well as the resin are pre-heated. Carbon layers are placed on the lower part of the mould and each one is impregnated with resin; at the end we press on it with the upper part of the tool and strengthen it by placing it in the curing furnace. Another alternative of wet procedure for products that are stressed under high temperatures is in which we coil dry carbon fabric onto a pre-heated tool and impregnate it with a pre-heated high temperature-resistant resin and cure it in the furnace, first at a temperature of 130°C and later we postcure it at temperatures up to 400°C.
We use six electric furnaces with temperatures of up to 650°C.
- Special procedure in an autoclave where we place pre-impregnated carbon fiber on a tool, than place a release film and felt on it and fasten it with a special vacuum bag and sealing tape. The foil contains a valve, which is connected to a tube that sucks out air and compresses carbon layers.
Products are then placed on a shelf in an autoclave, where they are strengthened up to 10 bars and 250°C. We use four autoclaves in the production process.Final processing
Trimming and cutting can be done manually or mechanically.
We use various devices for drilling and milling grooves, among others also a robot arm, a 3 axial CNC machine and a 5 axial CNC machine.
Grinding of carbon parts, which are later painted, takes place in a sand blasting chamber.
The paint area consists of a coating chamber and furnace for strengthening. The dust and wet coating procedure that we use provides carbon products with a beautiful finish (matt or gloss) as well as resistance to UV rays and high temperatures. Inspection of the product quality and polishing are the final steps that guarantee superb quality and durability.
