Composite materials are among the top choices for manufacturing due to their combined strength, stiffness, and lightweight features. They also provide exceptional corrosion resistance, durability, and design flexibility. Additionally, composite shapes have more structural versatility than other material options. These advantages allow manufacturers to design products with specific properties suited to their unique structures.
Choosing the Best Custom Composites Manufacturing Provider
It’s important to work with a reliable and experienced custom composites supplier to ensure quality and lasting products. Here are some factors to look for when deciding on the best manufacturer for your projects:
Quality Assurance Compliance
A manufacturing vendor’s list of quality assurance certifications proves dependability. These records demonstrate that a recognized organization examined the supplier and determined that its operations, products, and services meet industry standards. Working with a vendor who failed recent inspections or lacks the necessary certifications could be detrimental to your product quality.
Composite Manufacturing Specialty
Consider the products that each potential composite manufacturing vendor specializes in before making your choice. It’s also a good idea to investigate how their products are made, particularly if your business adheres to an environmental sustainability strategy.
Some companies may offer turnkey solutions for all your composite needs, while others may be limited to single-specialty services. For example, Goodwinds Composites specializes in composite rods and tubes – rods and tubes are commonly used as structural components in a variety of applications. Other companies specialize in plates or molded parts. Thus, determine whether your prospective suppliers have the capabilities your project requires.
Industry Experience
How long a firm has been in business and who its clients are will help you choose the ideal manufacturing partner for your needs. For instance, a supplier producing carbon fiber products for more than 20 years will likely have greater industry knowledge than a company that has been doing it for less than 5 years. Although you shouldn’t base your judgment solely on this factor, it may help you choose between two or three potential partners.
Advantages of Custom Composites
Here are the main advantages that carbon composites offer:
High Strength-to-Weight Ratio
Carbon fiber is stronger and stiffer than steel and aluminum materials per unit of weight. Products made with carbon composites can weigh as much as 50% less than steel or aluminum for the same strength profile. Further, multilayer composite laminates absorb more energy than conventional single-layer steel. High-end auto engineers can reduce vehicle weight by as much as 60% while enhancing crash safety simply by replacing metal components with carbon.
Durability
Engineers prefer composites over traditional metals because they are more cost-effective. They are easy to maintain, provide long-term stability for construction, and their designs can last decades.
Composites never rust, no matter the environment’s condition. Carbon composites’ excellent dimensional stability allows them to keep their shape in hot or cold and wet or dry environments.
Unique Design Options
With composites, it is possible to achieve difficult custom designs. Component consolidation is also possible, as a single composite part can take the place of an entire assembly of metal parts. Composites can also be finished into smooth and textured surfaces and machined, offering shorter production times and long-term savings.
Manufacturing Efficiency
Composites can now be customized and manufactured in three-dimensional designs. Moreover, prototyping allows custom composites to be easily patterned to achieve a project’s required strength, density, and flexibility.
Composite Design and Manufacturing Advantage With Goodwinds Composites
Goodwinds Composites is a leader in custom composites sourced and manufactured in the United States. We have the expertise and engineering background to recommend and build the most cost-effective solution for your particular application, whether a straightforward tube or a highly intricate, highly engineered structure.
Our team of engineers can guide you throughout the process — from conceptualization, design, material selection, and product design to the complete bonding and assembly of your composite carbon or fiberglass needs.
Get help from the experts! Contact us to get a quote or to learn more about our services.