Composite Materials: Advantages and Disadvantages

Contents

Introduction
Overview
FRP: A Widely Used Composite
Advantages of FRP Composites
- The Greatest Advantage of FRP is its Lightweight and Superior Strength.
Disadvantages of FRP Composites
Manufacturing Method
Summary

Introduction

For materials that deliver weight reductions, you are likely to hear many terms such as carbon, carbon fiber, carbon fiber reinforced plastic/polymer, or carbon composites. These materials are often introduced as lightweight and strong substitutes for metals. But what do we know about these materials and what is the difference?

Overview

This issue explores the advantages and disadvantages of fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), a resin base material (matrix) fortified with fibers to form a composite.

FRP: A Widely Used Composite

The most obvious example of a composite material is reinforced concrete, a material created by reinforcing a concrete base material (matrix) with steel bars.

Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP) is a widely used fiber-reinforced polymer-based composite with high-performing and weight-reducing properties. The plastic polymer (resin) used as the matrix is lightweight with exceptional molding versatility, while the added reinforcing fibers (generally glass fiber) enhance the tensile strength and rigidity. Carbon reinforced plastic fiber (CFRP) is a polymer-based composite and type of FRP that, as the name implies, employs carbon as the reinforcing fiber to further optimize the tensile strength, rigidity, and weight-reducing potential of the material.

Advantages of FRP Composites

The Greatest Advantage of FRP is its Lightweight and Superior Strength.

FRP has molding versatility equal to resin. Unlike metals and isotropic materials, the anisotropic properties of FRP offer design flexibility that achieves varying strength/rigidity depending on the orientation of the fibers. In other words, we can add or decrease the strength/rigidity in varying directions, while maintaining the same ply thickness, according to the specifications of the product.

Compared to conventional plastic products, FRP offers various advantages including reduced material thickness, fewer structural components, and integrated architectural structures due to its increased strength. Even when compared to metals, Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) delivers exceptionally low specific gravity, high strength, and corrosion resistance.

* CFRP specific gravity of 1.5-1.7g/cm³

* Tensile strength range of 3000-7000MPa and tensile modulus range of 50-900GPa depending on the fiber used. Offers material and product design flexibility according to the specifications and requirements.

*Vibration damping properties, electrical conductivity, fatigue properties, X-ray transmission properties, and similar.

The initial letter refers to the type of fiber used; C being carbon, G being glass fibers, and A being aramid fibers. Since CFRPs are composed from a combination of reinforcing fibers and resin (plastic), they are referred to as a “composite” or “composite material”.

Disadvantages of FRP Composites

The disadvantages of FRP include the material costs, the molding and processing difficulties, the need to specifically design the material for each product due to its anisotropic nature, and issues with recyclability.
Although carbon fiber is a relatively expensive material, its anisotropic properties effect an unfavorable yield rate which can add to the overall cost. Manufacturing processes are complex, and, while developments are progressing, many of the processes are still performed by human hand. Due to such challenges in mass production, carbon fiber applications are still largely limited to aircraft and luxury cars.

Manufacturing Method

CFRP is known for its many unique qualities. But what kind of manufacturing processes are used to create this fascinating product? Next up, we will introduce the general flow of autoclave molding, the golden standard method used to produce high-quality CFRP.

Summary

This issue details the advantages and disadvantages of FRPs. As a highly advanced material, information on CFRP remains limited and thus hard to fully grasp.

CFRP offers remarkable “lightweight, strong, and non-corrosive” advantages. Despite these, challenges in manufacturing complexity, cost reduction, mass producibility, and recyclability are yet to be fully resolved. We urge you to look into employing CFRP or GFRP with a full understanding of the drawbacks as well as the benefits.

ABOUT UCHIDA - 55 years since our founding

We leverage a wealth of technical expertise as a CFRP molding and processing manufacturer using FRP, GFRP, and CFRP materials. We offer a one-stop solution, encompassing design, analysis, manufacturing, secondary processing, assembly, painting, quality assurance, and testing.

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UCHIDA's equipment

We have cutting-edge equipment to ensure that we can address even the most advanced challenges of our customers.

DMG森精機 - VS1000/40/2050
X軸：2,050mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：1,000mm ／ Z軸：600mm ／テーブル作業面：2,250×1,000mm

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 2
Size : Ø1,150x1,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 400℃ / Design pressure : 2.0Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 5

ASHIDA MFG Co., Ltd.
Autoclave Oven 3
Size : Ø3,000x6,000mm / Operating temperature : at normal temperature - 200℃ / Distribution accuracy : ±2.5℃less / Heating rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Cooling rate : 4.0℃/min. (empty furnace) / Design pressure : 0.99Mpa (maximum working pressure) / Working pressure : 0.7Mpa less (if no specification from the manufacuturer 0.3Mpa around) / Pressure accuracy : ±0.02Mpa（for pressure setting of ０ - 0.99Mpa/cm²） / Boost pressure accuracy : 0 - 0.03Mpa/min / Pressure source : compressed air (regular use) / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

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Oven
Size : W1,000xH1,000xD1,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 45min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

ESPEC CORP.
Temperature & Humidity Chamber

INSTRON
Static Universal Testing Machine 5985

Oven
Size : W7,000xH3,000xD2,000mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 300℃ (Max) / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature (20 - 40℃) - 300℃ / 60min less / Vacuum system : back suction system / Vacuum units : 10

NEO
X axis : 4,000mm (stroke) / Y axis : 2,000mm / Z axis : 1,200mm / C axis : 0° - ±270° / B axis : 0° - ±110° / Table working place : 4,000x2,000mm

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3Dプリンター | Markforged

Painting booth
Various painting, and clear finish is done in dedicated painting booth

Adhesion, Finishing, Coating Room
Finishing process, such as trimming, drilling, and bonding, surface treatment of the molded product type and is done in a private booth

Toshiba Matrixeye EX (Ultrasonic flaw detector)
Matrix-Arrey : 32

AMETEK CREAFORM Metra
SCAN750 Elite (3D scan)

Olympus Corp.
Inverted Microscopes

Oven
Size : W450xH450xD450mm / Temperature range : Environmental Temperature +20 - 650℃ / Temperature elevation capability : Environmental Temperature+50 - 650℃/120min less

Cutting Plotter Table working place : W1,500xL3,500mm

SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD
Cutting Plotter

KUKA
Robot

Krauss Maffei
Epoxy resin injection machine Resin 60L ／ Hardener 25L

Krauss Maffei
630t Press machine Height total 5,200mm ／ Length max 1,500mm ／ Width max 1,200mm ／ Whole cycle time per component part 240sec

DMG森精機 - NV5000B/40
X軸：1,020mm（ストローク）／ Y軸：510mm ／ Z軸：510mm ／テーブル作業面：1,320×600mm

Big sized clean room
JIS B 9920 cleanliness class maximum concentration (Pcs/m³） / Class 5 : 100,000m³ / Capacity : m² (16,000x16,000mm) 760m² (16,000x16,000x3,000mm) / Temperature and humidity condition : Temperature : 23℃±3℃, Humidity 65% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Ambient conditions : Temperature 35℃ during summer, Humidity 70% less / Temperature -5℃ during winter, Humidity 40% less