Carbon fibre is playing an increasingly important role in industrial badge and nameplate manufacturing, according to Diametric.
The company, which designs and manufactures badges for brands such as Jaguar, Triumph Motorcycles and Aston Martin, says it has seen an increased demand for use of the material, particularly within the automotive industry.
According to a recent report, the carbon fibre industry is rapidly growing and demand is forecast to grow from 46,000 tonnes in 2011 to 140,000 tonnes by 2020.
The Carbon Fibre Industry Worldwide 2011-2020: An Evaluation of Current Markets and Future Supply and Demand, written by Tony Roberts, also predicts that by 2020 the two major industrial applications – wind energy and automotive – will account for 46% of the world’s total demand for carbon fibre.
Graham Steele, who oversees automotive badge and nameplate manufacturing at Diametric, says he is not surprised by the figures.
“We have seen a steady increase over the years, particularly in the automotive industry, in the demand for us to work with carbon fibre,” he says.
“It’s being used more and more in car manufacture and this is extending all the way through to dashboards and door trims, which we are commissioned to brand with manufacturers’ logos.
“It’s easy to see why it’s so popular – its composite strength is huge but weighs next to nothing – making it perfect for sports and high performance cars, which is where we’re seeing a real demand.
“Cosmetically it also has its benefits and manufacturers that are looking to appeal to a younger demographic, we have found, are using carbon fibre internally more and more.”
As the popularity of carbon fibre has increased Diametric has worked alongside its automotive clients to perfect its technique for branding parts such as dashboards and door trims. The company produces electroformed decals, which are applied directly onto the carbon fibre before a high gloss lacquer is applied to encapsulate the logo or branding. The result is high clarity replication of the image that can be seen but not felt on a material that is super-light.
Graham Steele predicts that the growing popularity of carbon fibre within automotive manufacturing could change the shape of badge and nameplate creation across all industries in the future.
“We’re currently exploring ways that we can work with carbon fibre across the board as a substrate,” he says.
“Where manufacturers require an incredibly light badge that can be branded with impeccable precision carbon fibre could well be the way forward.
“One thing is for sure – the more we are using it as a material the more we are able to understand its inherent properties and innovate new ways of using it within the badging world.”
To find out more about Diametric and its work with the automotive industry visit .
