Composite Design and Manufacturing 01: Process and Materials

Composite manufacturing is no longer an enigma of high-level industrial fabrication. The migration of composite material has inserted itself into consumer products from automobile interiors to cell phone cases to sporting equipment. In this three-part series, carbon fiber product designer and fabricator Aram Goganian presents an essential guide on composite design and manufacturing, detailing the building of an actual consumer product—in this case a balance bike—from composite design to the finished product. This first course covers composite material basics and carbon fiber manufacturing methodologies. Aram details carbon fiber as a material, how it’s manufactured, how it’s processed, and the different styles of manufacturing with it. By the end of this course, you’ll have a better understanding of the material and how to best use it.