Because of its light weight and mechanical properties, carbon fiber is becoming a popular alternative to steel and aluminum. Its flexibility and flexibility to be customized add to the seemingly infinite uses for carbon fiber, as advancements in material science and manufacturing techniques continue to advance.


Carbon fiber is well-known as being higher priced than materials such as steel and aluminum. Carbon fiber parts are expensive due to the composite parts manufacturing. The manufacturing process, skilled labor, and other components needed to make carbon fiber products are all elements which can result in their price being high. Whether you want a useful reference on carbon fiber parts manufacturing, browse around here.


Read on to discover the reason why carbon fiber products are more expensive than other materials.


Processing and Economies of Scale


Due to their strengths, carbon fiber is often compared with metals like aluminum and steel. However, the production of carbon fiber is distinct from the production of metals.


Metals such as aluminum and steel are made from ore that is raw. The ore can be converted to an end product straight away or used in bulk form that can be later transformed into a final product. These methods are well-tested and have been improved over the course of hundreds of years.


The production of carbon fiber, however, is a much more involved process. To produce carbon fiber tows, chemical as well as mechanical processes are used to alter the atomic composition of organic polymers. The tows of thousands are then placed in an epoxy matrix to form composite products. Composite manufacturers employ exclusive formulas, processes and combinations of materials in order to make a range of laminates made from composite that satisfy the strength and mechanical requirements for particular parts.The entire process takes a long time with many steps that need to be carefully controlled and monitored to achieve the required specifications.


From a volume standpoint carbon fiber is dependent on the final product or the performance requirements of the application.


A variety of custom designs can be utilized to meet specific material requirements for the project. Manufacturers might have developed “standard items” to replace metal or other materials, however, they may not be popularly accepted by the market.


Metals are usually viewed as commodities with market prices dictated by demand and supply. Scale economies are impacted by the high volumes of steel utilized in shipbuilding and civil projects. Global steel and aluminum production is measured in millions of tons while carbon fiber can be measured in hundreds of tonnes. This gap is narrowing because of the increasing acceptance of carbon fiber in aerospace. Metals are expected to remain produced in higher volumes for applications where the use of carbon fiber is not advantageous.


Performance and Return On Investment (ROI)


Based on extensive experience and historical use, the property of the metal and integrations of metals in specific applications is widely known. Their performance and costs are well-known and reliable when designing for any particular use. Carbon fiber isn’t clearly defined at this time.


Aerospace industry weighs up the price of carbon fiber against advantages of performance from a longer flight range , due to a dramatic reduction in the weight of the aircraft or spacecraft. In the long term the added value of carbon fiber is worth the additional carbon fiber parts manufacturing cost.


The per-piece cost of industrial automation is weighed against the advantages of lighter-weight materials. This allows for higher speed of production lines, less wear on motors and actuators and a lower energy usage. Due to the immense benefits, the cost of carbon fiber can be justifiable by the longer longevity and performance.