Seed article — replaced by real coverage before launch
Three ways to make the same part
Wet layup is a paintbrush and patience. Resin infusion pulls resin through dry cloth under vacuum. Prepreg starts with cloth already impregnated with a precisely metered resin film, staged in a freezer, and cured under heat and pressure in an autoclave.
What the pressure is for
The autoclave's job is simple: crush voids. Porosity is the difference between a part that looks like carbon and a part that behaves like it. Under several atmospheres, resin flows into every void and the fiber fraction climbs — which is where the strength-to-weight numbers come from.
Why it costs what it costs
- Freezer-staged material with a shelf life measured in weeks
- Tooling that must survive repeated heat-pressure cycles
- Cure cycles that tie up the autoclave for hours per part
The honest trade
For a cosmetic interior trim, infusion is a fine answer and we will tell you so. For a vented hood or an aero surface that carries load at speed, the autoclave is not marketing — it is the difference between a panel and a part.
Weight is the enemy. Voids are its spies.