We can take on your entire composite project or just the stage where you need support – for example, starting up and optimising production at your site. Whatever the scope, we are responsible for the result: a part that meets strength, dimensional and cost requirements at your target volume.
Below is our typical path from concept to serial production. You can commission all five stages or select only those you need.
1
Determining boundary conditions
Every project starts with defining how and where the part will work: its geometry, loads, operating environment and target production volume. On this basis we develop process concepts and select the material system.
Part and laminate design
Using these boundary conditions, we design the part geometry and its composite structure – the laminate lay-up, fibre orientation and thickness distribution – in Siemens NX.
FEM Analyses
We recommend verifying every structure with FEM analysis before tooling is made. Our finite element analysis services include:
- strength analysis
- modal (vibration) analysis
- flow analysis
- optimisation of part geometry and laminate structure, based on the results and on the limits of the selected manufacturing technology
Result of this stage:
A validated part geometry and laminate specification, together with defined operating conditions, permissible loads and production volume – ready for tooling design.
2
Choosing the right manufacturing technology is what makes repeatable quality and the lowest cost per part possible. When selecting it, we take every factor that affects the process into account:
- Production volume – annual and total
- Tooling cost
- Finishing and machining cost
- Available equipment
- Labour content and related cost
- Required operator skills
- Material availability and shelf life
- Impact of manual operations on repeatability
- Material waste and its cost
Result of this stage:
A selected manufacturing technology that balances quality, repeatability and cost per part at your target volume – ready for tooling design.
3
With the part geometry defined and the manufacturing technology selected, we design the moulds and tooling. Every choice builds on the previous stages: the mould material depends on the process requirements, the expected production volume and the required mould life, while the level of complexity and automation built into the mould depends on the annual volume and the economics of the project.
We design moulds in close cooperation with proven tool shops we have worked with for years. For complex moulds, we review machining feasibility, available machines, tools and machining costs before the design is finalised – because even the most carefully designed mould will not deliver the intended process if it is not manufactured exactly to the design. At this stage, minor design adjustments resulting from the manufacturing technology are still possible.
We supervise mould manufacture and verify every mould on delivery, so we take responsibility for its conformity with the design and the process.
Result of this stage:
A mould manufactured to design, matched to the available equipment and associated tooling – ready for process development.
4
Process Verification on the Production Mould
For most projects, we commission the new mould with a trial batch that confirms both the mould and the process. This is where we identify issues that could appear in series production, before they affect your parts, and propose solutions – for example changes to the preform or charge pattern, cycle parameters or finishing steps.
Result of this stage:
A verified mould and process, confirmed on a trial batch, with any technological risks identified and resolved before series production begins.
Process Optimisation
This stage often decides whether a project succeeds in series production. By refining every step of the process, we achieve stable repeatability while reducing cost per part and cycle time.
We optimise the processes we develop – and we are often asked to improve existing production at our customers’ sites, where scrap rates, cycle times or costs are too high.
Typical parameters we optimise include:
- temperature and its profile at each process step
- charge pattern and preform shape
- material preparation
- moulding pressure – how it is applied and its profile over time
Result of this stage:
A stable, documented process with process sheets and defined parameters – ready for series production at our plant or yours.
5
Technological Documentation
We document the entire process so that it can be reproduced with the same quality and repeatability – in our plant, at your site or with another partner. The documentation covers every key step of production, from cutting patterns to finishing and packaging guidelines.
Typically, it includes:
- cutting patterns and ply books (lay-up sequence)
- process sheets with parameters for each step
- mould handling and maintenance instructions
- quality control points and acceptance criteria
- finishing, machining and packaging guidelines
Quality Control and Documentation
Quality control confirms that production stays stable and repeatable. Depending on the project, we inspect part dimensions, mechanical properties and process parameters – and document the results for every batch.
Our quality tools include:
- 3D scanning – dimensional inspection against the CAD model
- microscopy – laminate quality, porosity and fibre content
- thermal imaging – detection of delaminations and internal defects
- process monitoring – recorded parameters for each production run
We also offer defect analysis as a standalone service: if your existing production shows quality issues, we examine the samples, identify the root cause and propose corrective actions.
Series Production
Stable series production is where all the previous work pays off. We manufacture parts in our own plant – from pilot batches to series production – using the process, tooling and quality controls developed in the earlier stages.
- production in our plant in RTM, autoclave and prepreg, vacuum infusion, compression moulding and forged carbon (C-SMC)
- finishing on site – machining, bonding, assembly and painting
- quality control for every batch, with inspection reports
- scalable volumes – from pilot runs to [X] parts per year
If you prefer to manufacture in-house, we transfer the complete process to your site and support the start-up of production.
Result of this stage:
Finished parts delivered to specification, batch after batch – with full traceability and quality documentation.
Our approach to composite manufacturing is built to save time, energy and material – and to keep waste to a minimum – without compromising on part quality. In our hollow forged carbon process, for example, material waste is around 0.5% of the part weight.
From concept to serial production – that’s what Carbon Design does.