Cabon Layup over Entombed 3D Printed Male Core of Bicycle Frame Transition

Screw the RTM. Print the core, entomb it. Again, surfaces and shapes are quick to practice the composites process.

Printed

Prep, layup, wrap. I will forego the vacuum bag on this layup. The only compaction will be from the elastic band, and the excess resin will squeeze out into the band.

Results were acceptable.

Flaws were the lack of compression at the flat sections and an acute folding of small bits of the fiber under the compression banding. I was rushing too fast and placed to much tension on the band causing it to slide under the carbon.

Takeaways are to be careful of flat sections in the final design. I need to avoid them or provide supplimentary compression means to the compression banding.

I also need to be mindful of the transition curvature itself. The shape I used was too sharp, the fibers bent conforming to the transition. But blending the shapes out too far is also problematic because the fillet removed surface area for the transition composite over-wrap to bond to the tubes.