Ilmberger Carbon US

Carbon does not equal carbon!

Production process

 

Autoclaves:

 

This is the classic procedure, developed over decades for hi-tech use, from Formula 1 to Moto GP, right up to space travel.

The most modern practice here is the use of so-called “Prepreg” mats as a starting point for high-quality carbon parts. These pre-impregnated mats must be cold-stored so that they can be processed more effectively. Because the mats are produced by machine, their proportion of binding agent is consistently low. This results in excellent dimensional conformance, as well as predetermined, clearly defined stability, linked with lower component weight. In addition, the use of Prepreg Carbon fibre mats is better for humans and the environment, because open resin use is not required.

With the high pressure ratios and temperatures achieved in the autoclave, the moulds for the carbon components must be made from resistant materials. To guarantee consistent quality, aluminium is used. These aluminium moulds are milled using the latest CNC milling techniques from solid metal sections.

For many years this procedure has been used by Ilmberger Carbon Parts and is constantly being developed for our uses. As you may be able to glean from this description, this entire procedure is not cheap. Nevertheless, the process distinguishes us decisively from nearly all our competitors. And you as a customer always have the certainty you will receive only the very best.

 

Carbon deep drawing

 

This process can often be found in the automotive industry. The most famous example is the carbon roof of the BMW M3. In this process, a single large carbon mat is heated using an infrared laser and then placed in a cooled mold. This is then pressed in with a stamp for a few minutes. The advantage here is the short cycle time, which allows unmatched high quantities. However, this advantage is forfeited again by reduced properties. Due to the lack of time and the comparatively low temperatures, the component cannot achieve the same strength and rigidity as it would be the case with an autoclave. Another disadvantage is that only very simple shapes, usually of a large area, can be built. And even with these simple shapes, the material sometimes warps so much that the perfect regularity of the fiber pattern has to accept major losses. This happens because the carbon cannot be perfectly laid out here, but simply as a large mat over it and then squeezed into the mold by a press. 

 

 

Wet Laminate:

 

In the wet laminate procedure, the individual mats are saturated with resin, inserted into moulds and placed in the oven. The oven is used to harden the mats in this procedure. Procedures such as vacuum, pressure and high temperatures are not used here as this leads to a softening of installed components, for example, in strong sunlight. This technology is used in model construction for individual part processing, during which large numbers of pieces are seldom processed and so a favourable alternative to plastic or fibreglass must be found. This traditional laminate production technology can provide proper visual results when properly processed but without achieving the high level of autoclave part stiffness and stability necessary today. In addition, the subsequent varnishing of wet laminate components is not an easy task.

 

Compression Technology:

 

Compression technology can, in principle, be classified like wet laminate production, in which the fabric is compressed and stamped into shape in a mould. Similarly too, compression technology works at a very low temperature, with the disadvantages being nearly identical to wet laminate production.

Surfacetreatment

 

Raw

 

Many manufacturers simply leave the surface of the carbon part unprocessed. Only the edges are deburred and in the best case a polish is used. This is by far the cheapest, but also, from a technical point of view, the most disastrous variant. If you leave the surface unprocessed, not only the CFRP fibers but also their epoxy matrix are exposed to the environment. High-quality CFRP fibers, like the ones we use, are made from 100% carbon. It is the same chemical element that diamonds are made of. They can handle most of the influences from their environment very well. The Achilles heel is in the Matrix here. Their task is much more profound than one would assume at first glance. It not only connects the fibers with one another, but also distributes the forces between them. One often hears that carbon, or in general all fiber composite materials, are particularly strong in the direction of the fibers, but hardly bring stability across them. This is due to the fact that everything that acts across the fiber direction must be absorbed by the matrix, i.e. the resin. You can greatly limit this effect by installing several layers in different directions. With our know-how, we regularly take appropriate measures in the construction of the component to reduce this, so-called anisotropy of carbon, to such an extent that the weakening effect is almost no longer measurable. If, however, the resin is exposed to the environment without protection, it dries out more and more and increasingly loses its adhesive power. The adhesive effect between the individual fibers decreases. Correspondingly, the individual layers find it increasingly difficult to support each other, so that the part appears more and more fragile. UV light accelerates this process enormously. You can recognize this process very well by the typical yellowish discoloration. The more the component is discolored yellow, the further the drying process has progressed.

 

Clear Coat

 

Clear coat The largest manufacturers lack their components with a clear coat. If this person is covering interests, one can distinguish from the fact that the rights are located. As is well known, deficiency also dries up in its own time and tends to become cracked. If, like a car fenders, rust spots after a few years, a carbon fender can have a different yellow discoloration after a certain year - even without driving on the salt in winter. A problem problem is in the process itself. The optical depth effect - refers to Right Carbon - is not just an optical illusion, but under the lack of real. If the paint is not sanded down several times and reapplied, an unsightly orange peel often forms on the surface. These do not only generate a feeling of poor quality, but also for unsightly broken light reflection in the sun.

 

Clear Plastic Power Coating

 

The technically most complex, but best process especially for surfaces on vehicles, is powder coating with clear lacquer. In the plastic powder coating used by ICP Ilmberger Carbon for carbon parts, both the part to be coated and the clear lacquer powder are electrostatically charged, similar to the conventional powder coating process. The powder is applied to the part using a compressed air gun and then burned in, in a special cabin, which is heated to very precise temperatures. The flaking of damaged areas, which can often be seen with spray paint, can practically not occur with powder coating. It is much more resistant to stone chips and similar mechanical loads. The powder coating is also an excellent UV protection for the underlying carbon fibers and thus does not allow the carbon products to fade. 
In addition, the resulting surface forms an excellent primer for additionally applied paint. An "orange peel" can be almost completely ruled out, which enables a previously unknown, smooth and supple surface with carbon. 
Another bonus is that plastic coating is a very environmentally friendly painting process. Compressed air is used as the “solvent”. This means there is no additional burden on the environment. The resulting waste can be disposed of inexpensively for energy recovery. This means that there is no hazardous waste. 
ICP Ilmberger Carbon has been using this process successfully for over 10 years. To confirm the extraordinarily high level of quality, ICP Ilmberger Carbon has its process regularly checked by the German TÜV Süd and regularly receives the corresponding seal of approval. ICP Ilmberger Carbon offers every customer the security of getting the highest quality product available on the market.