Source: Pixabay
Carbon fiber car parts are ideal materials, and the more they are used in cars, the more expressive and valuable they become. The goal of an excellent carbon fiber car part manufacturer is not only to achieve light weight and safety performance, but also to give the car a better experience and bring more value to it. The application of carbon fiber in automobiles is mainly divided into interior and exterior, the carbon fiber car interior mainly includes paddle shifter, start stop button, gear shift knob, interior trim, and the carbon fiber car exterior includes antenna cover, mirror cover, fuel cap cover, which are mainly chosen according to your needs.
Normal Car Hood vs. Carbon Fiber Car Hood
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The hood is one of the most important body parts, which plays an irreplaceable role in the car. Normal car hood structure is very complicated and cumbersome, usually the inner and outer panels are filled with insulation material in the middle of the structure, and generally use aluminum alloy or steel plate and other metal materials, but the disadvantage of such materials is too heavy and easy to corrosion aging.
Carbon fiber can guarantee the rigidity and other mechanical performance requirements, which is a significant advantage over the regular traditional metal materials missing. However, the hood is an important component for beautifying and protecting the car, so its performance is very important for the car. As compared to normal metal hoods, carbon fiber composite hoods offer a very clear weight advantage of 30–40%, which makes the vehicle more flexible, uses less fuel, and has a significant impact on lowering exhaust emissions throughout the course of the vehicle’s lifetime. Carbon fiber’s superior strength over metal in terms of safety means that the automobile, the driver, and the passengers are all better protected. In terms of appearance, carbon fiber is resistant to acid and alkali, and it has environmental adaptability without rusting, and its plasticity can meet people’s needs for personalized customization of cars.
Why Are Carbon Fiber Hood so Expensive?
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The first reason why carbon fiber is so expensive is the scarcity of this material. The production process of it is very complex and requires strict production steps, as well as highly sophisticated equipment and operations, which means that the corresponding production costs are high. The second reason is that its performance is really better than traditional materials, it contains up to ninety-five percent carbon with high strength and high hardness, which not only can maximize the vehicle lightweight, thereby reducing the vehicle’s fuel consumption, but also largely increase its safety and improve its maneuverability and comfort.
Besides, carbon fiber is very useful for carbon fiber car part manufacturer. Although the process of manufacturing carbon fiber is complex, its functions are more extensive during the manufacturing process, which greatly reduces the time required to manufacture automotive parts and simplifies the structure of components.
Is a Carbon Fiber Hood Worth It?
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The answer to this question must be yes. For consumers, in addition to the above advantages of low density and light weight, carbon fiber hood also has a specific performance in high safety performance, that is, in the event of a collision, carbon fiber hood will be broken into pieces, so as to absorb the energy of the impact to protect the driver, and carbon fiber can be broken into countless small pieces in a head-on collision, but will not cause harm to people. In addition, there is an environmental issue that cannot be ignored, carbon fiber is much less carbon dioxide emissions than traditional materials, and is more friendly to the environment. As a citizen of the Earth, environmental protection is also a problem that we need to consider, so whether from the obvious visible advantages or from the long-term environmental perspective, carbon fiber hood is worth it.
Will Carbon Fiber Fade in Sun?
Source: Pixabay
So many advantages of carbon fiber are mentioned above, so does it have any disadvantages? The answer must also be yes. In daily use, although UV light will not damage carbon fiber itself, it will cause premature degradation of panels and sheets by degrading its epoxy resin. So if left unprotected, it will deteriorate quickly and thus carbon fiber with its beautiful, shiny surface will start to fade in sun. But there is a corresponding solution for this.
How to Care for a Carbon Fiber Car Hood
Source: Pixabay
1. Carbon fiber varnish is an advanced body protection coating applied to automotive surfaces. It is a polymer coating which contains carbon fiber nanoparticles to provide strong protection and wear resistance to the body surface. It can prevent the body surface from damage by external factors, such as ultraviolet light, rain, corrosive substances, etc. It can also make the body surface smoother, thus improving the gloss and appearance quality of the body.
2. It is also important to choose the color paint layer such as paint protection film for the hood. One-component polyurethane metallic paint is a good choice, which is characterized by accurate color, high color, strong adhesion, good coverage as well as strong UV resistance.
3. Although the transparent coat on the hood helps protect the carbon fabric from fading, it is best to still use a protective agent such as wax, paint sealant or ceramic coating. This will prevent the carbon fiber hood from clouding and fading due to long-term exposure to UV rays if there is no transparent coat. The ceramic coating is excellent because of its longevity, durability, corrosion resistance and UV resistance.
Conclusion
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With the continuous development of the automobile industry and the continuous improvement of social awareness of environmental protection and energy saving, high-strength and lightweight carbon fiber materials will undoubtedly become the mainstream and develop rapidly in the future, along with the corresponding supporting technology. As a result, the usage of carbon fiber composite materials in automotive manufacture is an unavoidable trend with a very bright future.
