Composite – material of the future
Composites are our primary production material.
The picture made with the Quanta Feg 250 scanning electron microscope of the Lublin University of Technology shows the structure of an epoxy-carbon composite manufactured at WIT-Composites.
Products from fibre-reinforced polymers are made using the autoclaving, infusion and vacuum bag methods, in particular. Apart from the most common method – contact moulding, which can be used to quickly start production in short batches – we also use vacuum methods, winding methods and pressure methods using the autoclave and woven pre-preg fabrics. This allows us to make products with very high quality and reproducibility. The use of composite materials in the industry is constantly increasing, primarily to reduce weight, improve safety and change the properties of materials to enhance their effective use. The ever-increasing group of composite materials is now used by many branches of the industry. The most frequently used materials include composites made of glass, aramid and carbon fibres – materials whose production and treatment have become our primary areas of expertise.
3 benefits of composite materials
1
STIFFNESS
Composite materials can be twice as stiff as steel. Such stiffness is achieved after the curing process. Before this happens however, the material can be moulded into any shape. That is why composite materials are so commonly used to build innovative machinery and equipment or sports gear (e.g., bicycle frames).
2
SMALL WEIGHT
Composite materials can be four times lighter than steel. This is achieved through a precise selection of suitable components. This property is the reason composite materials have become particularly popular with the aviation industry.
3
STRENGT
The tensile and bending strength of composite materials can be two to six times higher than the strength of steel. We can achieve this thanks to our skills in composite design.