Case Study 2, Carbon Fiber

Technical Situation

Our customer manufactures electronic equipment for the military and aerospace industry. These applications usually require enclosures that are light weight, impact resistant, and provide thermal and EMI/RFI protection. Traditionally, the only material available was aluminum. The problems with aluminum in this application was the weight and impact resistance. The weight requirement resulted in an enclosure design that was too thin, and the strength and impact resistance would not meet the design requirements. The customer contacted Jobst for a technical resource for a solution.

Our Solution

We clearly understood the problem that our customer's engineering group faced, and offered a solution that was technically superior to aluminum in this application, plus was cost effective from both design and tooling costs. Our solution was continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic, or what we refer to as "CFRT". The material selected was a continuous carbon fiber with a nylon resin matrix. The carbon fiber offered a significant weight reduction and strength, and the nylon resin matrix provided additional durability. We even addressed the customer's requirement for thermal protection and finish, by incorporating an aluminum foil thermal shield bonded to the inside of the enclosure with a powder coated finish applied to the outside surfaces. The result surpassed the customer's expectations, as both the engineers on the project and the procurement group were very pleased. In addition, their customers were satisfied. Our technical expertise that spans materials and applications were a valuable resource that our customer utilized to solve this highly technical engineering problem.