Car bodies: technical handbooks - composite parts manufacturing

Competition Car Composites - A Practical Handbook (Revised 2nd Edition)

Composites have been around since ancient civilisations began making bricks from clay and straw. Glass fibre, carbon fibre and aramid fibres - to name but three - are recent innovations, yet today there are few competition cars that don't have at least some components made out of one or more of these materials.
However, while it is well known that glass fibre technology can be used in the home workshop, what may not be so widely realised is that more advanced fibres also lend themselves to DIY methods.

This revised edition of Competition Car Composites starts by examining the materials and methods that can be used, explaining basic 'wet' and 'dry' laminating techniques, pattern making and mould construction, and the design and manufacture of components.
It then goes on to cover material and technology upgrades, and how more advanced materials can be exploited to achieve improved properties and reduced weight. The use of thermoplastic materials, resin infusion methods, and, especially, 'pre-pregs' in the home workshop, are also discussed, as are the composite techniques used by top racecar constructors.

Features:
- A step-by-step guide to composite materials and processes applicable to the home workshop
- Covers core materials and resin systems, and processes from 'wet lay-up' to 'pre-pregs'
- A hands-on, practical approach, with just enough theory to help you make informed choices about materials and methods
- Ideal for anyone who builds, repairs or develops competition cars or components - or anyone who wants to
- Most cars have composite material components, and knowledge of this technology can yield performance advantages
- Extensively illustrated, with many photos and examples from across the motorsport spectrum
- Down-to-earth text, writting in the author's 'thoroughly readable and understandable' style
- Foreword by Brian O'Rourke, Williams F1 Chief Composites Engineer

Composite Materials: Step-by-Step Projects

In his three previously-published books, Composite Materials: Fabrication Handbooks, Volumes 1-3 Author and Professor John Wanberg, took pains to explain the why and how of building with composite materials. Each page was allocated equally between photos and text.

In this book of step-by-step projects, John takes a different approach. Instead of explaining the theory and what each component is made of, John cuts to the chase. Nearly every page is allocated to photos.

The pictures lead the reader through a detailed how-to sequence. From making the mold, to cutting the fabric, and finishing the part, all the information is here. Projects include everything from fabricating speaker enclosures to hood scoops and cell-phone cases. Some require only simple molds, while others rely on more sophisticated vacuum bagging methods.

Each chapter starts with copy, just enough to explain the project and the goals. Next comes the material panel: a list of all the tools and materials needed to duplicate the project seen in that particular chapter.
Finally, the vast majority of each chapter is filled with the how-to photos. Photos that literally show each step along the way, from the initial sketch to the finished part.

How to Fabricate Automotive Fiberglass & Carbon Fiber Parts

Fiberglass and composite parts are commonly used in many collector cars, hot rods, Corvettes, and even late-model vehicles. Body panels, interior components, and engine parts are fabricated from fiberglass and composite materials (plastic molded or carbon fiber).
This book concentrates on completing common and advanced projects of fabricating and repairing automotive parts at home in the garage. The reader is shown how to use glass strand mat, woven fiberglass cloth, carbon fiber cloth, and hybrid fabrics for particular applications. The strength of these mats and ideal uses are covered in detail. Also shown is how to correctly mix the typical resins (polyester, epoxy), hardeners, and gels.

Core materials, such as wood, foam, and honeycomb Nomex, are often used to add strength to various parts. All the relevant tools, including mixing containers, holding containers, saws, scissors, files, and shaping tools, are discussed.
Constructing patterns to exacting standards from wood, Formica, aluminum, and other materials is essential and covered in detail.
Whether repairing existing components, fabricating new ones, building a race car, or restoring a classic, this is the one book to guide the reader through each critical stage.

Composite Materials - Fabrication Handbook #3

"Composite Fabrication Handbook #3" continues the practical, hands-on series on composites with helpful how-to projects that cover a variety of topics geared toward assisting home-builders in completing their composite projects. It expands further on mold-making techniques showing some special methods for creating molds and composite copies of existing parts, fabricating molds from clay models, and making advanced mold systems using computer modeling software and CNC equipment.

Several alternative methods of fabricating one-off parts are presented in this book, including molding over frameworks and human forms, as well as using stock composites to build simple structures.
Composite repairs are also covered in this book, along with a primer on computer-aided analysis of composites structures and how professional fabricators build composites.

Composite Materials - Fabrication Handbook #2

Written for those who want to enhance the quality and performance of their composite projects. Learn what it takes to truly optimize a composite lamination for high-performance use.
Basic mold-making is covered in this book to help fabricators produce effective mold systems from a variety of molding materials. Several advanced molding techniques are demonstrated in-depth, including vacuum-bagging, trapped-rubber insert molding, inflatable bladder molding, or resin transfer molding techniques.

This book presents each subject in a hands-on, practical way. Creating useful composite parts requires a good design, a topic that is discussed at length in this book. The methods illustrated here lend themselves to both motorcycle and automotive builders and customizers. The construction of these parts is documented in step-by-step fashion with an abundance of photographs - no step is left out.

Competition Car Composites - A practical handbook

This is a practical and well-illustrated guide to all the main aspects of composite fibre reinforced plastic manufacturing techniques with emphasis on the methods and materials that can be used in the home workshop.
It is therefore a valuable source of reference for competition drivers, amateur designers and constructors, as well as those who make, modify or repair components, both for competition cars and road vehicles.