Carbon Fiber: Supercars and Robots

You see it on Lamborghinis. You see it on high-end bicycles. It looks like a black woven fabric. Carbon Fiber is the king of materials.

• Strength: 5x stronger than steel.
• Weight: 1/2 the weight of aluminum. How?

The Weave and the Resin

Carbon Fiber is a Composite.

1. The Fiber: Microscopic strands of carbon atoms bonded in crystals. These provide the tensile strength (Pulling). They are flexible like cloth.
2. The Matrix (Epoxy): We soak the cloth in glue (Resin) and bake it. This provides the compressive strength (Pushing) and holds the shape.

It’s basically “High Tech Paper Mache.”

The Robotics Trade-off

In FTC, we buy Carbon Fiber rods and plates to make our lifts ultra-light.

• Pros: A lighter arm moves faster. A lighter robot accelerates quicker.
• Cons:
  1. Price: It’s expensive ($100 for a small sheet).
  2. Machining: You can’t drill it easily. It dulls tools.
  3. Safety: The dust is conductive and bad for your lungs. You need a respirator and a vacuum.
  4. Failure Mode: Steel bends. Aluminum dents. Carbon Fiber shatters.

We use it sparingly. A Carbon Fiber intake tube is great. A Carbon Fiber bumper is a bad idea (it will explode on impact).