Dry Fabric

Dry Fabric

Strong lightweight composite material ◾ Fiberglass, Ekoa flax fiber, and Aramid/Kevlar ◾ Incredible strength ◾ Great for molding into complex shapes

Composite Dry Fabric materials offer an array of benefits, the biggest being the weight savings. Whether you're looking for composite dry fabric, resin infused fabric (prepreg) or dry composite tow, Rock West has what you're looking for. If we do not have it, we can find it so call us or contact us for a quote. Whether your order is big or small, we will work to accommodate your needs. To help you get started on your project right away, we are generally able to ship most of the products listed in our store within one business day.

Filament Count (3k, 12k, etc.) Unidirectional Fabric Woven Fabrics Typical Weave Patterns

Frequently Asked Questions: Dry Fabric

What Does Filament Count Mean?

Filament count is the number of individual filaments that are included in each tow. Tow is the thread that you see in woven fabric or spools of carbon fiber. Each tow is made up of thousands of individual filaments; the “k” represents 1000. For instance, a 3k carbon tow is made up of 3,000 individual carbon filaments. The higher the filament count, the thicker the material. Thicker material is harder to form around bends and compound curves, and the increased bending or “crimp” from thicker tows can reduce strength. Filament count choice should be determined by the engineering requirements.

Why choose Unidirectional Fabrics?

Unidirectional fabrics have all the fibers running in a single direction. The main advantage of unidirectional material is its ability to control strength and stiffness in a specific direction. Unidirectional material is also usually thinner which allows for more control over laminate thickness and also reduces the likelihood of trapping voids or air bubbles. The disadvantages include longer time to laminate parts due to thinner plies, increased susceptibility to cracks that rapidly extend the length of the fiber, difficulty laminating complex curves without wrinkles and lack of aesthetic appeal.

Why choose Woven Fabrics?

Woven fabrics can conform to compound curves and maintain fiber angles while looking better and having the traditional carbon fiber look that people expect. They are more durable, faster to build up a laminate, and offer automatic stiffness and strength in multiple directions. The disadvantages include limited ability to customize properties in a single direction, some loss of strength as the fiber bends or crimps, higher resin content and increased weight, all of which can affect the properties of the finished part.

What Are The Typical Weave Patterns?

The most common patterns are plain weave, 2x2 twill and spread tow/checkerboard. Plain weave is where each tow is woven over and under one at a time, creating a small checkerboard pattern. A 2x2 twill weave is over two then under two. However, adjacent strands are staggered to create a diagonal affect. 2x2 twill weave is what most people think of when they picture carbon fiber. Spread tow patterns are typically a plain weave pattern but spread each tow extra wide to create a thinner layer with less crimping.

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    Dry Woven Fabric - Dupont Kevlar/Toray Carbon - Red - 192 GSM - BLOWOUT [WILL NOT BE RE-STOCKED]
    $45.00 $75.99
    SKU: 13010-RED-D-BLOWOUT
    Dry Woven Fabric - Dupont Kevlar/Toray Carbon - Yellow -192 GSM Sold by Yard BLOWOUT [WILL NOT BE RE-STOCKED]
    $45.00 $71.99
  3. Large Starter Kit - Wet layup
    SKU: 79001-LG
  4. Small Starter Kit - Wet layup
    SKU: 79001-SM
  5. Sample Pack - Dry Fabrics - Choose from Carbon, Fiberglass, Kevlar & More
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