Design

FOR

CNC

Max dimensions

I cut parts from carbon fiber sheets of various thicknesses, which means the parts cannot be larger than the sheet itself. The current dimensions of the sheets are 200mm x 300mm, but I am able to machine up to 300mm x 300mm for custom orders.

Please note that the thickness of the sheets may not be as consistent as you might expect, so this should be taken into account in your design. In the availability table, you can check the exact thickness of each sheet and its specific tolerance. A supplier offering stricter tolerances will be available soon.

End mill diameter

The primary end-mills used for cutting out designs are 2mm, with 1.4mm end-mills reserved exclusively for smaller, thinner parts. Therefore, in your design, you should aim to have internal radii larger than 1mm if possible.

For projects that necessitate smaller end-mills, custom solutions will be proposed. However, it is advisable to avoid requiring these smaller end-mills whenever possible, as their use can lead to increased production costs.

Dogbone

When internal corners are required in your design, features such as dogbone cutouts must be incorporated into the drawing. If these modifications are not made, the corners will end up with a chamfer equal to the diameter of the end mill used, and will need to be manually filed out to achieve the desired shape.

Pockets, slot milling

I offer the option to machine slots or pockets that do not extend the full length of the carbon fiber. As mentioned earlier, the internal radius of these features must be greater than 1mm.

Additionally, it is important to note that this process is more time-consuming and wears out end-mills faster, which means that depending on the size and complexity, it could impact the cost of the operation. If you have any doubts about the feasibility, please feel free to contact me during your design phase.

Additional note: The pattern on the sheets is almost solely an aesthetic feature. For strength, the internal layers are monodirectional, each oriented at a 90° angle relative to the adjacent one. This means that the pattern will be lost during slot milling.

Twill or plain pattern

The well-known pattern commonly associated with carbon fiber is often more of an aesthetic detail than a structural feature. In the sheets used for this carbon fiber service (as is the case with most carbon fiber sheets in commerce), the twill or plain pattern appears only on the first and last layers. The internal layers are composed of unidirectional fibers laid in opposition to each other, stacked one on top of the other.

Different patterns might be available or could be arranged for specific orders.

If you require a special sheet composition, for example, a layer orientation of 0°, 45°, 90°, 45°, 0°, or a sheet with full internal twill, I ask that you contact me in advance to discuss a custom order.

Tollerances

Due to the non-omnidirectional stiffness and rigidity of carbon fiber, tolerances are always an important factor to consider.

I will aim for planar and axial tolerances of less than 0.15 mm, and for critical dimensions, a precision of 0.05 mm can be achieved if specified.

During your design phase, please incorporate tolerances such as 0.15 mm for M3 holes and 0.1 mm for M2 holes. This will ensure that screws can be easily inserted without the need for additional filing of the parts.

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