Composite · Material guide
Custom carbon fiber parts from independent shops
Carbon fiber gives the highest stiffness-to-weight of any common material, which is why it dominates drones, motorsport, and robotics. Upload a drawing and hear back from shops set up to cut and machine plate, tube, and rod without chipping the edge.
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Grades
Carbon fiber types shops run most
Carbon fiber is specified by fiber modulus and by the weave or layup, not by a single alloy number. These are the choices you will make when you order.
3K 2x2 twill
The iconic diagonal-weave cosmetic and structural cloth. Balanced strength in two directions, a clean recognizable finish, and the default for visible parts. Available as woven plate and roll-wrapped tube.
Best for Visible panels, plates, drone frames, trim
Plain weave (1x1)
A tighter over-under checkerboard weave. Similar mechanical behavior to twill with a flatter, more uniform look, sometimes preferred for smaller parts.
Best for Small cosmetic panels, plates, covers
Unidirectional (UD)
All fibers run one direction for maximum stiffness and strength along that axis. Laid up in tailored orientations for structural parts where load paths are known.
Best for Spars, struts, load-bearing structure
Forged / chopped
Short chopped tows compression-molded into a marbled pattern. Flows into complex 3D shapes a woven sheet cannot, with a distinctive cosmetic look.
Best for Complex molded shapes, cosmetic hardware
Standard vs high-modulus fiber
Standard-modulus fiber (T300-class) covers most parts. High-modulus fiber costs more and adds stiffness for weight-critical structure where deflection is the limit.
Best for Aerospace and racing structure at the stiffness limit
Solid laminate vs cored panel
A solid laminate is stacked plies machined as plate. A cored sandwich bonds thin carbon skins to a foam or honeycomb core for very high stiffness at very low weight.
Best for Solid: brackets and plates. Cored: large stiff panels
Specs
Material properties
Representative values for a quasi-isotropic carbon/epoxy laminate. Real numbers depend heavily on fiber, resin, and ply layup.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Density | ~1.6 g/cm³ (0.058 lb/in³) |
| Tensile strength (UD, along fiber) | ~600 ksi (4100 MPa) |
| Tensile modulus (UD, along fiber) | ~20 Msi (135 GPa) |
| Specific stiffness | Several times that of aluminum or steel |
| Max service temp (epoxy) | ~120 °C (250 °F); higher with special resins |
| Machinability | Abrasive; needs diamond or carbide tooling and dust control |
| Corrosion resistance | Inert; does not rust or corrode |
| Galvanic note | Conductive; isolate from aluminum to avoid galvanic corrosion |
Carbon fiber is anisotropic: strength and stiffness depend on fiber direction, so orientation and layup matter as much as the material itself.
Stock
Forms we machine it from
Plate & sheet
Routed and machined flat parts, brackets, and drone plates.
Tube
Roll-wrapped and pultruded tube for arms, booms, and struts.
Rod
Pultruded solid rod for spars, pins, and stiffeners.
Weave & layup
Weaves and constructions
The weave sets the look and the in-plane behavior; the layup and core set the structure. These are the common choices for a design.
Plain weave (1x1)
Flat, uniform checkerboard finish.
Unidirectional
All fibers one way for max axial stiffness.
Forged / chopped
Marbled short-tow, molds to complex shapes.
Solid laminate
Stacked plies machined as plate.
Cored panel
Carbon skins over a light core; ultra-stiff.
Processes
Manufacturing methods for carbon fiber
The right process depends on part geometry, tolerances, and production volume.
Finishing
Finishes for carbon fiber
Most carbon parts ship in one of a few surface states. The resin surface, not a plating, is what you finish.
Gloss clear coat
A clear UV-stable topcoat that deepens the weave and protects the resin. The classic wet-look carbon finish.
Matte clear coat
A satin topcoat for a stealthier look while still sealing the surface against UV and handling.
As-cut / machined edge
Raw cut edges sealed to prevent fraying and moisture ingress. Fine for internal or hidden edges.
Painted / primed
For non-cosmetic structural parts that will be painted, the surface is primed rather than clear-coated.
Cut and drilled edges expose fiber and should be sealed. Call out any cosmetic (A-surface) faces on your drawing.
Applications
Where carbon fiber parts are used
Carbon fiber shows up wherever stiffness-to-weight is the deciding factor.
Compare
Carbon Fiber vs other materials
How carbon fiber stacks up against the metals shops quote for lightweight parts.
Carbon Fiber vs Aluminum
Aluminum →- Carbon fiber is lighter and far stiffer for its weight, but anisotropic
- Aluminum is isotropic, much cheaper, and easier to machine into complex 3D features
- Carbon wins on flat plates and tubes; aluminum wins on prismatic machined parts
Choose carbon fiber for the lightest, stiffest plates and tubes. Choose aluminum for cost and complex machined geometry.
Carbon Fiber vs Titanium
Titanium →- Titanium is isotropic, tougher, and handles high heat and fatigue better
- Carbon fiber is lighter and stiffer along the fiber, but brittle and heat-limited by its resin
- Titanium takes threads and fasteners directly; carbon usually needs inserts or bonded hardware
Choose carbon fiber for pure stiffness-to-weight in panels and tubes. Choose titanium for tough, threaded, high-temperature parts.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
For most cut jobs the trusted method is CNC routing with diamond-grit or compression tooling and dust extraction, which gives clean edges without lifting the weave. Abrasive waterjet is used for thick stacks but can force water between the plies and delaminate thin laminates, and lasers char the resin, so they suit only dry fabric or prepreg. Confirm the shop is set up for composite and call out edge quality, hole tolerances, and cosmetic faces.
Get carbon fiber part quotes
Upload a drawing once and compare quotes from independent shops set up to cut and machine carbon fiber plate, tube, and rod.
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Uploads are secure & confidential