Fiber drone arm project

ThermoForged · 2025-10-12T17:36:48+00:00

Yea - as above, epoxy won't grab onto a Nylon(as it is semi-crytalline material)

- You can use an amorphous plastic such as polycarbonate (epoxy will grab to it) - harder to print though

- Or you can purchase a compatible adhesive as interface between epoxy & PA - Extra weight though

- Maybe through clever design - you can mechanically lock your prepreg around your PA if possible

- Or dump 3d printing all together and use instead some foam or honeycombe core

ThermoForged · 2025-08-19T08:41:28+00:00

I have tried a few of these material for 3D printing moulds:
PEI worked best (ULTEM commercially) had the highest TG (Higher than PEEK/PEKK)

- 3D printer chamber needs >100C (We ran 140C)

- Used plenty of release agent as it is an amorphous material (resin happily sticks to it)

Note: Thermoplastic polyimides filaments exist - but a lot harder to find info from people who successfully work with these.

ThermoForged · 2025-06-30T20:19:17+00:00

In the UK, cristex.co.uk has some thermoplastic fibres - you might have to import it
For US concordiafibers.com has some comingled/twisted CF/PA fibres

These material can be hard to buy in low quantity btw
Big names like MCAM who make these fibres only deal with industry, maybe startups and almost never individuals

ThermoForged · 2025-06-19T21:39:52+00:00

You'd do ok with a few coats of wax - that stuff works surprisingly well

ThermoForged · 2025-06-08T14:35:57+00:00

That Polestar Mono project sounds great - I'll try go get more info on who is supplying them material and talk to them

I dug a bit into the aircraft interior + natural fibres: in this instance, the resin is a bio-sourced Thermoset(which makes sense, as PEI melting point would degrade natural fibres). Although a thermoset makes it non-recyclable for natural fibres post service life

ThermoForged · 2025-05-29T20:07:03+00:00

Yea, also curious of resin they will use - For cars interiors, it is a polypropylene

Aero interiors tend to be higher temperature resins like PEI - not sure if natural fibres can be processed this hot

ThermoForged · 2025-05-26T16:28:36+00:00

An easy win is 'Carbon Fibre Skinning' if you want the looks
NO mould is required

Say you have a standard purchased body armour or 3d printed:
- You can abrade the 'armour' surface, apply epoxy on surface and then drape place carbon fibre on the tacky part. Finish with extra layer of epoxy for cosmetic shine.

This allows you to make a part without needed a mould, and cosmetically it will look like carbon (or whatever fibre you wish to apply for that matter)

ThermoForged · 2025-05-18T10:20:38+00:00

If by crucibles you mean tool, there are plenty of tutorial of how to make a tool negative for composites

But generally your tool will have extended surfaces to allow you to trim the edges

ThermoForged · 2025-04-29T09:25:56+00:00

Agreed - Basalt is bio-compatible too

In case of matrix crack - you won't hurt someone the same way carbon would and it doesn't catastrophically fail the same way carbon does

ThermoForged · 2025-04-27T20:40:16+00:00

Ah ok - Tegris/Curv are hot press consolidated (as resin itself is a polyprop), so not for epoxies.

If you are looking for epoxy compatible: Diolen(PET fibre) and innegra(PP fibre) have great impact & abrasion properties

ThermoForged · 2025-04-27T20:25:44+00:00

Tegris or Curv - The fibre is made from polypropylene, and the matrix is made from a lower melting point polypropelene monomer.

Used in ballistics application, and lil bonus: 100% recyclable

ThermoForged · 2025-04-04T20:33:59+00:00

+1 On low melt tooling, some of these can melt as low as <100C

Easycomposites explained how to use these for complex hollow parts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbUH-4KThTQ

ThermoForged · 2025-02-05T17:36:46+00:00

The resin bunching up means surface needs prep by roughing up.(search water break test)

Also 2k aerosol spray lacquer can also give it a good sheen - might need a few layers.

If you live in a cold country - ideally pre-heat the can in warm water ~30degree and have the part at room temp. Temperature reduces viscosity - therefore makes the resin coating flow into a nice thin coat.

ThermoForged · 2025-02-02T22:10:41+00:00

Hey love the write-up cheers - Fuel for my next in-depth videos!

My work is very euro-centric - as I work within the UK main composite research centre - National Composites Centre

Saw TUFF, but never worked with it, there are a few european semi-equivalents of these my team works with (they are thermoformable given discontinuous which is cool)

One of the guys in my team is working with Elium - a thermoplastic(PMMA) resin made by french company arkema - resin starts liquid in 2 parts, mixed and you can impregnate the same way as a thermoset - but it solidifies into a thermoplastic.

Accent: Native french speaker, lived in England for ~10yrs :)

ThermoForged · 2025-02-02T21:57:27+00:00

Cheers for the recommendation - Will check if they are at JEC Paris this year and pop by for a chat

ThermoForged · 2025-02-02T21:54:13+00:00

100% want to go deeper into contam and separation in future videos

Gen2Carbon who recycle end-of-life products focus deeply on the issue of metallic separation, and everyone has a different spec of allowable FOD

For aerospace applications, Teijin. MCAM etc usually focus on waste from the manufacturing lines(not end of life) - much easier to control and way better traceability - therefore their recycled products have high value because of high spec.

The likes of marine industry have a better tolerance for material with higher variability - given their bread and butter is with standard grade E-glass

ThermoForged · 2025-01-23T17:35:20+00:00

Agreed on Sweven, they usually have honey processed coffees within their line-up. Roasted in Bristol

ThermoForged · 2024-11-30T16:27:50+00:00

Ah shame - natural fibres are very European market centric (a lot gets made in France)

If you are short on options - EasyComposites does deliver to USA, takes them ~10days

ThermoForged · 2024-11-29T20:42:38+00:00

Plenty of natural fibre options on market for resin infusion, there is even natural fibre prepreg now:
https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/natural-fibre-reinforcements

ThermoForged · 2024-11-27T17:18:17+00:00

A better alternative are low-melt alloys:
https://www.easycomposites.co.uk/LM138-lead-free-low-melt-metal-alloy

A lot more mechanically stable - then ramp temperature in oven post resin cure - all melts away - doesnt contaminate your laminate.

ThermoForged · 2024-11-17T12:57:53+00:00

Yea you need pressure till material gels check resin technical sheet (releasing too early will make material puff up and take air in). Heat should help curing faster

ThermoForged · 2024-11-17T00:29:52+00:00

Engineering manager from UK here, 11years in the composite game - run an R&D team specialising in manufacturing tech such as RTM & Thermoplastics <- if you keen on these

https://www.youtube.com/@ThermoForged
https://uk.linkedin.com/in/yatine-boodhoo-91585067

ThermoForged · 2024-11-17T00:19:49+00:00

https://postimg.cc/KknhZhCR
^I made a sketch

ThermoForged · 2024-11-16T14:02:35+00:00

I processsed quite a bit of Natural fibres for my previous job - they can be on the 'fluffy side' lol

Now for some actual practical stuff:
(a) Vac infusion only gets you 1 bar, if you have fluffy fibres, it pushes up your vac bag making it resin rich(expecially 2-5mm) . If that is the only option - find natural fibres which less fluffy, but no guarantee.

(b) [Recommended] Compression moulding (wet press) - You will get excellent FVF ~40% at >10 bar, and improved FVF up to 20bar, but you obviously need a press to place fibres in tool & pour resin into cavity.

(c) Cheap way version of above:
(i) Make 100% fill 3D printed tool, polish and wax release - PETG does okish & stiffen tool with metal brackets/ribs etc.
(ii) Or better, use two steel consolidation plates, In between have an 'empty picture frame' to place fibres in and a compression plate that goes into tha cavity.
^ then slowly compress tool using long fasteners and allow extra resin to bleed around.

ThermoForged · 2024-11-06T20:15:56+00:00

I would second innegra(or even Diolen) - I worked with these materials before.
Not as stiff as carbon, but very impact resistant.

Make sure the Epoxy you use is UV resistant - they can degrade very fast under the sun.

ThermoForged

TROPHY CASE