Can carbon fiber materials bring a new round of industrial growth?

    Carbon fiber, this "magical" new material has the characteristics of high strength and low weight. If it is applied to automobile body, new energy battery pack, low-altitude man-machine, etc., will it greatly improve the performance?     

     In Anhui, one side is carbon fiber material manufacturing enterprises, the other side is vehicle and battery manufacturing enterprises, and a docking meeting brought their "hands" together.   

     On August 26, the Automobile Office of Anhui Province held a special docking meeting for new carbon fiber materials. Representatives of new carbon fiber material enterprises, complete vehicle enterprises, complete machine manufacturing enterprises and battery PACK package enterprises gathered together, aiming at expanding the popularization and application of new carbon fiber materials in the automotive industry and low-altitude economic fields through on-site docking, and opening up the "last mile" between the supply and demand sides of new materials.   

      Carbon fiber materials have a wide range of applications in automotive, low-altitude economy and other hot industries, and are deeply concerned in the current trend of change in the new material industry.  

      Any industrial innovation can not be separated from the support of application scenarios, and specifically for the new material industry, its most important vitality lies in the application.  

     Only when they are used, can technological progress and industrial transformation gradually fall to the ground, and the expected broad prospects can be truly "realized" as the growth space of the industry.  

      Can starting carbon fiber industry achieve a new industrial "legend" in Anhui?

The Great Use of "Black Gold"     

     What is carbon fiber?    

     Most people do not understand, a few people have little knowledge. Many cyclists may know that bicycles with carbon fiber frames are often "representatives of high-end cars", which can reduce the weight of the body to the greatest extent and make the speed of riding a little faster.

      Carbon fiber is not just "light". This new material is known as "black gold" in the industry. Its strength is 5 to 8 times that of steel, but its weight is only 1/4 of that of steel. It has the characteristics of high strength, light weight, high temperature resistance and corrosion resistance. It is the preferred material for weight reduction and enhancement.  

      Technavio predicts that from 2023 to 2027, the market size of new carbon fiber materials for vehicles will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.24%, reaching 18.163 billion US dollars by 2027.  

      At present, the demand for carbon fiber composites in low-altitude economy and other fields continues to grow, and there is still much room for improvement in the automotive field.   

      The automobile industry is the first industry in Anhui, which is developing rapidly, and the low-altitude economy is also accelerating its rise, becoming the "new force" of emerging industries.  

      Can carbon fiber materials bring a new round of industrial growth?

        At the docking meeting, Zhang Xiangdong, founder of Shanghai Hleng New Material Technology Co., Ltd., a representative of new carbon fiber materials enterprises, made a road show on the spot, explaining the characteristics, highlights and advantages of new carbon fiber materials.

      Since carbon fiber is so good, why is it not widely used?   

      "At present, only some high-end models in the automotive field use carbon fiber materials, which are limited to the transmission shaft, hood and interior decoration of automobiles, and have not been widely used, not because of how expensive carbon fiber is, the most fundamental thing is that the manufacturing process is difficult, the processing efficiency is not high and the complex stress calculation is needed. It is difficult to mass produce, and the rate of good products is limited." Alena Sheng explained.        Alena Sheng introduced that the company has three core technologies, namely, carbon fiber prepreg formula, polymer film integrated formula, intelligent composite curing system, etc., which can achieve low cost, high efficiency and high yield. "In addition, we can adjust the formula according to different product needs, which can highlight the weight reduction or rigidity."   

        What do "buyers" care about most?   

        The docking meeting can not only rely on the seller's mouth, but also the potential customers have raised many professional questions. The buyers of the car companies asked questions one after another. For example, Gu Zhiping, head of the supply chain procurement center of Jianghuai Automobile Group, said that in the past, carbon fiber materials were mainly used in automotive interior and exterior decoration, rarely used in vehicle structure, the most important factor is cost, so how to control costs?  

        Zhou Zhao, senior manager of Weilai Automobile Industry Planning, said that some materials of Weilai ES5 and ES6 also use carbon fiber, but the application is relatively small, large-scale supply and cost are the key, so what is the source of cost composition?   

        Car companies focus on "cost". Faced with this problem, Alena Sheng answered on the spot, giving a cost price, and said that the larger the quantity, the lower the cost, the stability and price are in the lead in China. The main sources of cost are labor and raw materials, cost control is better, and products have price advantages.