tech today
The Magic of Carbon Fiber
Expert installation technician Matt Schaeffer reveals how carbon fiber can change the game for even the most challenging of fabrication jobs. FOREWORD BY JOEY KNAPP WORDS BY MATT SCHAEFFER
Matt Schaeffer, 2016 Installer of the Year I hope you liked our series on building a false floor. I think Bing did an excellent job breaking down the process of installing equipment into a spare tire well. For the right client, that is an excellent location to fit audio gear, and still keep the functionality of the trunk/hatch space. In this article, we are going to be taking a look into using carbon fiber in our installations. Admittedly, I don’t know too much about carbon fiber. I recently completed an installation in which I had to machine and clear coat
48 Mobile Electronics September 2016
some carbon fiber pieces. I kind of cheated, though, and used pre-made sheets of carbon fiber. We are going to learn how to make pieces using real carbon fiber cloth. When I decided this needed to be the next topic for an article, two people came to mind as guest authors. The first was Junior Ngim of Sound Innovations in Union City, Calif. I have always followed Junior’s work on Facebook, and was fortunate to meet him during a visit his shop a number of times when I lived in California. Junior makes a number of carbon fiber accessories for cars, and does a great job integrating carbon fiber in his installations. The second person I thought of—and the guest author of this article—is Matt Schaeffer. Like I do with Junior, I have followed Matt’s work on Facebook and Instagram for quite some time. Matt does incredible work. In addition, he makes some really great videos highlighting his work and techniques. He has one such video on laying carbon fiber. To provide insight on the subject, Matt agreed to share his steps for creating and finishing pieces in carbon fiber. Let’s see what he has to say.
Matt Schaeffer’s Big Question So what exactly is carbon fiber and why do so many manufacturers use it? Well, let’s start with the basics. Carbon fiber is five times as strong as steel, two times as stiff, yet it weighs about two-thirds less. Why is this important to car manufacturers? It is simple weight reduction. Weight reduction means better gas mileage and quicker acceleration. The other perk is that it’s a very aesthetically pleasing material. If carbon fiber is so great and offers so many benefits, why is it not yet mainstream? The answer is price when compared to materials like steel. Steel is about 40 cents per pound while carbon fiber is about 15 dollars per pound. Another big factor is time. Manufacturers can easily bend, cut, weld and repair steel. The carbon fiber process is quite detailed and lengthy. There are many steps which we will cover in this article, explaining how to manufacture a part from start to finish. Why should we care and why should we know the process? More and more car manufacturers are using real carbon fiber in the interiors as accent panels. This is important to us in the car audio