I am writing this to let you guys know how bad the carbon fiber shortage has gotten! The 2006 Hexel and Toray carbon fiber manufacturing reports just came in a couple days ago. These are the 2 major carbon manufactures. There will be NO 3k carbon made for the domestic market in 2006!!! This is what almost all cabon hood and such manufactures are using. The alternative is 5 times more expensive. Dupont also will not be making kevlar for fabric as well. So there will be no colored fabrics made in 2006 as well. They are only making for ballistics and industrial use! Most companies stockpiled for the shortage but no one expected that none will be made. The ones that did stockpile are already taking fabric from that. Their is fabric out their but nothing to meet their needs! Boeing and the military is taking most of it. It was reported that most (90%) of chinese manufacturing and other countries such as Taiwon, Japan, Sri Lanka, Europe, and Africa are all going to have issues. Most weaves and manufactures will not sell to China because of what they did to the carbon name because of how they manufacture the parts. Economists give most of them 4 months till they will have to close down!!! or switch to only fiberglass. So places like Seibon, ViS, and fiberimages will not be able to get enough fabric to stay in business from what the economists say.


**Taken off honda-tech**

 

That blows.

I was really warming to the idea of getting a CF hood from Chris but the funds just won't allow it at the moment. I've gotta get damage to my car fixed, rims & tyres by month's end & a few other bits & pieces.

 

source? (besides H-T)

 

http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1493102

just read the thread, he has plenty of info on it. This has also been mentioned by the owner of FlyRide a few months ago. I guess its really true though

 

yeah Chris mentioned it a few months ago. that really blows as fiberglass cracks easily, it will not bend like plastic, and it also cracks the clear coating and paint if bent, chips very easily...

WTF has the world gotten into? we'll have to wait a good 10 years before the stuff gets back into production.

all this time i thought Honda tuners were stealing all the Carbon Fiber!! tongue.gif

 

Thats horrible mad.gif So well have to import? Making it more expensive right

 

it's not about it having to be imported... it's about it's not being manufactured... There will be none from anywhere for us to get... the only kinds of carbon fiber that will be available will just be rediculously expensive and not worth it...... maybe we should be looking into urathane(sp?) alternatives to body styling?

 

i'm curious what brought up that crisis... some serious action has to be going in the big world..

 

I think its the war in Iraq. They said the millitary is using up most of it

 

Well, since the Manufacturing Process for Kevlar is simlar to the one for Carbon Fiber (after the fibers are finished that is), this would explain it. Remember that there is an emergency run of like 2,000,000 sets of the new body armor for our troops overseas. This is the new stuff that runs around the arms, the sides, the legs, everything.

Makes a lot of sence.