carbon fiber tube with color

carbon fiber tube with color

Let’s Talk About Colored Carbon Fiber Tubes

Most carbon fiber is just… black. It’s a classic look, but let’s be honest, it can get boring. Plus, when you’re staring at a complex piece of machinery, having everything the same color is a nightmare for organization. That’s why we make colored carbon fiber tubes. Whether you need to color-code parts for your team or you just want your gear to match your brand, we’ve got you covered. And the best part? You don’t have to trade off strength for style. The technical side of things (made simple) Under the hood, these tubes are the same high-performance stuff you expect—high-modulus fibers held together by epoxy or thermoplastic resin. We can tweak how the fibers are laid out—longitudinal, hoop, or braided—depending on what kind of stress your part is going to take. Now, here’s the tricky part: adding pigment can sometimes mess with how the resin sticks to the fiber. If you do it wrong, the tube gets weak. We use specific dyes that keep the bond tight, so you still get that rock-solid stiffness and lightweight feel. How we get the color in there We usually do this in one of two ways. First, we can mix the pigment right into the resin before it cures. This means the color goes all the way through the wall. If you scratch it, it’s still the same color underneath. Then there’s the high-temp outer coating. This is the way to go if you want colors that really pop. Just a heads-up, though: if your tubes are going to be rubbing against things or taking a beating, coatings can chip over time. A few things to keep in mind You can use these for almost anything—structural supports, drive shafts, you name it. They’re incredibly strong for how little they weigh. But wait, there’s one catch. Colored resins don’t always love the sun as much as black carbon does. If your equipment spends its life outdoors, the color can fade. To stop that from happening, we’ll add a UV-stabilized clear coat to lock everything in. And don’t worry about the fit. We’ll spec the inner and outer diameters to your exact needs, so they slide right into your housings without any fighting.