Page 28 - Industrial Technology April 2021 issue

MACHINE BUILDING

CARBON PROFILES

MACHINERY FRAMEWORKS

IF THE CONSTRUCTION OF YOUR MACHINE OR FRAMEWORK
DEMANDS SOMETHING THAT IS STRONGER THAN ALUMINIUM,
LIGHTER THAN STEEL AND WITH ZERO THERMAL EXPANSION,
THEN YOU JUST MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THE CARBOSIX
RANGE OF MODULAR STRUCTURAL PROFILES
CONSTRUCTED FROM CARBON FIBRE.

ombining structural lightness, high strength and
low bending with zero thermal expansion, the
CarboSix line is said to be the world’s only
Cmodular profile in carbon fibre. A result of
Alusic’s experience as a manufacturer and seller of and zero thermal
aluminium profiles, components and accessories, the expansion. But there
CarboSix profiles combine unique flexural mechanical could also be benefits in
properties that offer significant advantages to the more general applications,
automation and industrial manufacturing industries. such as packaging and special
Alusic says you can use these profiles in exactly the machinery, where the benefits
same way that you would aluminium, with the same accrued could outweigh any cost
structural modularity and the same accessories, and with implications.
identical installation and fastening systems. Yet they are Alusic points to a number of real world
lighter and much stiffer than either steel or aluminium, applications where the CarboSix profiles
have increased tension and compression resistance have offered benefits. It highlights a gripper
compared to steel and aluminium, have increased thermal application, for example, where high sturdiness
resistance and offer much better corrosion resistance than was required in a robotic handling system. And in
either steel or aluminium. another handling system CarboSix offered improved
Carbon fibre profiles are created through the use of a ergonomics.
technology called Pultrusion. This process pulls spools of The company can also point to applications where the
carbon fibre thread through a resin bath, and into a 25mm compared with material has been formed into rollers and paddles for
temperature controlled mould to create the final shape. 70mm for the steel bar. And conveying and palletising tasks. Alusic says CarboSix is
The result is a unique set of characteristics. Alusic while the steel offered a tensile especially good for use on roller conveyors because of the
highlights a comparison between two 28mm capacity of 1,500kg, the CarboSix offered some extremely low inertia to rotation.
diameter, 6m long bars of CarboSix and 10,000kg. Compared with aluminium, Alusic says a Alusic offers a full line of profile sizes to meet the
steel. The CarboSix offers a weight 45x90 CarboSix profile will outperform a 90x90 broadest range of applications, including 45x45 profiles,
advantage of 1.2kg compared aluminium profile, and deliver a 65% weight saving to 45x90 profiles and 90x90 profiles. There are also tubes,
with 7kg for the steel, and boot. round bars, rectangular bars, square tubes, rectangular
in a stiffness test the tubes, paddles and sheets.
CarboSix was Suitable applications With numerous real world applications under its belt,
deflected by Of course, just because that you can replace your Alusic has a technical department staffed by industry-
aluminium or steel profiles with carbon fibre doesn’t mean experienced engineers, and is well placed to provide help
that you necessarily should. But where high strength to and advice on the most functional and appropriate
weight or high stiffness to weight ratios are desirable, the applications for CarboSix products,
CarboSix profiles are an ideal solution. Alusic argues that MORE INFORMATION: www.carbosix.it
high performance structures could most certainly
benefit from a switch to CarboSix, along with
applications such as test
benches where very low
bending is a key
requirement.
Any application
where structural
lightness is required
could well be another
good candidate, as could
metrology applications where
you need low bending characteristics

28 INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY • March/April 2021