What are composite materials?

    Composite materials are multi-phase materials prepared by compounding two or more materials such as metal materials, ceramic materials or polymer materials. Various materials have a synergistic effect on performance, making the composite material’s overall performance better than raw materials to meet various requirements. Composite materials have the characteristics of light weight, high specific strength, specific modulus, good ductility, corrosion resistance, heat insulation, sound insulation, shock absorption, high (low) temperature resistance, etc., and have been widely used in aerospace, medicine, machinery, construction and other industries.

    Generally referred to as composite materials, it is composed of two or more materials with different properties, such as fibers and other reinforcing materials and substrates (matrix), combined by various technological means. It is comparable to fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP), fiber-reinforced metal (FRM), metal-plastic laminates, etc., and has the characteristics of light weight, high strength, and good stiffness. These composite materials are popular in automotive parts.

    What are the common composite materials?

    1. glass fiber

    At present, the glass fibers used in high-performance composite materials mainly include high-strength glass fibers, quartz glass fibers and high-silica glass fibers. High-strength glass fiber composite materials are not only used in the military, but also in civilian products in recent years, such as bulletproof helmets, bulletproof clothing, helicopter wings, early warning aircraft radome, various pressure vessels, civil aircraft candy bars, sporting goods, various high-temperature resistant products and recently reported tire cords with excellent performance, etc. 

   2.  Carbon fiber

    Carbon fiber has a series of properties such as high strength, high modulus, high temperature resistance, and electrical conductivity. It was first widely used in the aerospace field, and it has also been widely used in sports equipment and sporting goods in recent years. It is predicted that industrial-grade carbon fiber will be adopted on a large scale in fields such as construction, transportation, and automobiles. 

    3. Aramid fiber

    Aramid fibers are widely used in high-performance composite parts in the aerospace field (such as rocket engine casings, aircraft engine compartments, fairings, rudders, etc.), ships (such as aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, yachts, lifeboats, etc.), automobiles (such as tire cords, high-pressure hoses, friction materials, high-pressure cylinders, etc.) and heat-resistant conveyor belts, sports equipment, etc. 

   4. PVC mesh

    PVC mesh is a widely used material, which consists of PVC coating and mesh. This material has many characteristics, such as anti-ultraviolet, anti-corrosion, wear-resistant, etc., and is suitable for various outdoor and indoor occasions. Compared with other materials, PVC mesh is more durable and easier to take care of. This material is suitable for many applications and can be used to reduce vibration and noise, isolate water flow, and more. This material is suitable for many applications and can be used to reduce vibration and noise, isolate water flow, and more. In short, the characteristics and uses of PVC mesh are very extensive. 

How to cut composite materials?

1. Hand cutting

Hand cutting is the most basic cutting method and the most traditional method. Operators need to use manual cutting tools, such as manual cutters, circular saws, manual planers, etc., to cut composite materials. This method is simpler, suitable for thinner composite materials, and less expensive. However, manual operations are time-consuming and prone to errors and precision issues.

2. Machanical cutting

Mechanical cutting is to put the composite material on a mechanical cutting machine and cut it with a high-speed rotating cutting blade. This method has high efficiency and high precision, and is especially suitable for mass processing of composite materials. The cutting method of composite materials is gradually developing in the direction of high efficiency, high precision and high automation. When choosing a cutting method, factors such as cutting accuracy, efficiency, cost, and viscoelasticity of the selected material need to be considered.