The heat of an active volcano. A 5,000 pound weight dropped from above. A sandstorm that lasts ten years. These are just some of the ways GE torture-tests the super-strong materials that go into jet engines, wind turbines, and more. And thanks to the company’s fascinating YouTube channel, we get an up-close view of the process. No safety goggles required.
The making-of video for Peugeot Design Lab‘s latest project contains no words—it doesn’t need any, since it shows every step of the process: From blasting a huge chunk of volcanic stone from its resting place to crafting a piece of carbon fiber to perfectly fit the rock’s jagged profile. The resulting bench looks like like something that might’ve emerged from the sand in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
     |
It’s no Iron Man suit, but if you’ve got a knack for civil disobedience and often find yourself on the business end of a Taser, the folks at Hackaday discovered that carbon fiber clothing can actually let you shrug off those electric shocks.
| |
Aside from being very strong and rigid, carbon fiber is also a very good conductor of electricity. Hack A Day Projects member Shenzhen took advantage of the wonder material’s property to make an electroshock-proof coat.
Shenzhen simply stuck strips of carbon fiber tape under the lining of his coat using iron-on hem tape.
Because carbon fiber is more conductive than human skin, the current from the taser will flow through the tape.
Because it’s just a matter of sticking carbon fiber strips, you can actually do this to practically any piece of clothing. Shenzhen also used carbon fiber tape to make heated clothing, although that mod is a bit trickier and requires a power source to work.
What you’re looking at is a carbon fiber drive shaft and a steel drive shaft being twisted with force until they break. As you can see in this torque test between the two, the carbon fiber shaft doesn’t budge (that’s not a still image, folks) while the steel shaft cork screws itself and becomes deformed under the same amount of twisting pressure. Gnarly.
| |
We know that 3D printers can print objects out of plastic, food, animal tissue and metal. Now a company called Mark Forged claims that its upcoming Mark One 3D printer can print using carbon fiber, the wonder material known for its high strength-to-weight ratio and cool looks. Something tells me this printer will hit a high money-to-ink ratio as well.
The Mark One can print objects with carbon fiber at up to 200 microns thick. It can also print using PLA, fiberglass and nylon at up to 100 microns, so you can make objects mainly out of those cheaper materials then reinforce or decorate them a bit with carbon fiber. You can check out the printer’s other specifications on Mark Forged’s website.
The Mark One will be available this March for $5,000 (USD). Some of Gizmag’s commenters have two major criticisms about the Mark One though. First is that you can already buy carbon fiber-reinforced PLA filament. Which means you can start printing carbon fiber objects now and with your existing 3D printer.
The second criticism is that although carbon fiber is strong in itself, in high-end applications the material is molded – i.e. the fibers are aligned and woven – in ways that maximize certain properties, one of which is strength. In other words, a 3D printed carbon fiber object may not turn out to be as strong or durable as other carbon fiber products.
For my part, I’m worried that future customers will be able to buy the Mark One’s carbon fiber filament only from Mark Forged. And also that folks are more excited about this than the one that prints pizza. Folks. THIS ONE PRINTS PIZZA. Why is that not receiving funding from all living organisms in the universe?
[via Gizmag]
When it comes to making parts for high-end racecars, many of them are made from carbon fiber. Making parts with carbon fiber is a labor-intensive process that requires lots of … Continue reading
Carbon fiber is a wonderful material, strong and lightweight. But building with it is both intimidatingly complex and prohibitively expensive—which is why Mark Forged has developed this new 3D printer which can build objects layer-by-layer using the stuff.
| |
Snowmobiles are fun and fast, but when you just want to get down a big snow-covered hill, there’s nothing like a sled. If you’re the kind of speed freak that enjoys going 40mph downhill, then this sled might be for you.
The Snolo Stealth-X Sled might break your bank account, but that’s because it’s made almost completely of carbon fiber. The entire shell is made out of one piece and is contour-molded in the seating area to fit your bum perfectly. It even has a padded back rest to keep you comfortable while you zip along this winter. There’s a single, steerable ski at the front, and two at the back.
The Snolo will give you the maneuverability of a snowboard, and blistering fast downhill speeds – but get ready to cry, because this baby costs a whopping $2,550(USD)!
[via Uncrate]
When you lust after something as exotic as the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento, but just aren’t able to spend millions on a hypercar, then I guess you’ll just have to settle for something as mundane as a Gallardo.
The Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Squadra Corse is almost identical to the LP 570-4 Super Trofeo, a single-series race car, but it is street legal. Just like the Super Trofeo, the Squadra Corse shares components with the Gallardo Superleggera.
Its 570 hp V10 engine is complemented with a carbon fiber rear wing and removable hood. Thanks to the ample use of this lightweight material, the Squadra Corse weighs 154 lbs less than the LP 560-4.
Interior components have been made from lightweight materials as well including an ample helping of lush Alcantara and more carbon fiber.
Getting to 60 mph takes only 3.4 seconds, and you will hit 124 mph in 10.4 seconds. Its top speed is 199 mph, which should be plenty, especially for a car you can take off of the track.
[via Autoblog]
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
