3K Plain / Twill Carbon Fiber Tube for Strength and Light Weight

Stiff 100% 3K Carbon Fiber Tube - The Ultimate Solution for Strength and Stability

In industries where weight, strength, and rigidity must be perfectly balanced, stiff carbon fiber tubes have emerged as a top choice. From aerospace engineering to robotics, drones, and automotive applications, these tubes provide unmatched structural performance with minimal weight.

What is a Stiff Carbon Fiber Tube?

A stiff carbon fiber tube is a hollow cylindrical structure made from carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), engineered specifically to resist flexing, deformation, and vibration under load. These tubes are typically manufactured using roll-wrapping, pultrusion, or filament winding methods, with fibers aligned in directions that maximize stiffness.

Key Properties and Advantages

1. High Stiffness-to-Weight Ratio: Carbon fiber has a modulus of elasticity significantly higher than aluminum, while being far lighter. This makes it ideal for applications that demand both rigidity and low mass.
2. Minimal Flex and Deflection: Stiff carbon fiber tubes hold their shape under pressure and movement, making them perfect for telescoping poles, robot arms, and precision instruments.
3. Durable and Fatigue Resistant: Carbon fiber resists cracks, corrosion, and fatigue better than metal, especially in harsh environments.
4. Vibration Dampening: The material naturally absorbs vibrations, reducing wear and noise in moving assemblies.
5. Thermal and Chemical Resistance: With excellent heat stability and chemical inertness, these tubes are perfect for use in outdoor, marine, and aerospace conditions.

Applications of Stiff Carbon Fiber Tubes

• Aerospace and UAVs: Structural components, antenna supports
• Robotics: Lightweight arms, frames, and joint extensions
• RC and FPV Drones: Motor mounts, booms, camera arms
• Telescopic Poles: Extended reach tools, inspection equipment
• Medical Devices: Surgical instruments and mobility aids
• Sports Equipment: Ski poles, bike frames, archery shafts

A stiff carbon fiber tube is not just a high-tech material—it’s a game-changer for industries that require precision, strength, and performance without compromise. Whether you're designing a drone frame, building a robotic prototype, or engineering a lightweight support arm, carbon fiber tubing is the smart choice.

Manufacturing Process

The manufacturing process involves several steps:

• Material Selection: High-quality yarns are carefully selected, considering their tensile strength, modulus, and other required properties.
• Prepreg Production: To create prepreg sheets, the selected yarns are impregnated with a thermoset resin, usually epoxy. These prepreg sheets offer precise control over fiber alignment and resin distribution.
• Layup and Curing: The prepreg sheets are cut into specific dimensions and stacked layer by layer in a mold, aligning the fibers according to the desired pattern. The assembly is then cured under heat and pressure, transforming the prepreg into a solid structure.
• Post-processing: Once cured, the tubes undergo various post-processing steps, such as sanding, trimming, and surface treatment, to achieve the desired final dimensions, smoothness, and appearance.

Unique Properties of 3K Carbon Fiber Tubes

3K carbon fiber tubes possess several unique properties that make them highly desirable in various applications:

• High Strength-to-Weight Ratio: The 3K carbon fiber's arrangement of 3,000 filaments in each tow provides exceptional strength while maintaining a lightweight profile. This property is crucial in industries where weight reduction is essential, such as the aerospace and automotive sectors.
• Excellent Stiffness: The aligned fibers provide high stiffness, ensuring minimal deflection under load. This property makes them ideal for applications that require rigidity and stability, such as robotics and industrial equipment.
• Corrosion and Fatigue Resistance: Carbon fiber composites, including 3K carbon fiber tubes, exhibit excellent resistance to corrosion and fatigue, making them suitable for outdoor and demanding environments.

Shanghai Lijin focuses on the Carbon Fiber industry and offers carbon fiber tubes, plates, and aluminum CNC services.

Being experienced in the carbon fiber applications for over 7 years, Shanghai Lijin manages customized production according to various industry standards. Shanghai Lijin started to keep in stock for some standard

sized and frequently ordered tubes and plates. This enables Shanghai Lijin to make prompt delivery. Not only

can Shanghai Lijin complete mass production orders in short period, we can even ship normal sample, prototype orders of Carbon Fiber Plate CNC parts in just SEVEN days after order confirmation when the

drawings are available. Shanghai Lijin is dedicated to solve any technical points during the production and new item developing to ensure the quality.

Carbon Fiber tube production is Shanghai Lijin’s core business and occupies 70% of our turnover.
The carbon fiber tubes Shanghai Lijin mainly produce is table-rolled and oven thermoset. The tubes can be Full Carbon or Carbon Fiber and Fiberglass composite, depending on the application, weight limit,mechanical

strength and surface requirement.Shanghai Lijin offers top quality ROUND carbon fiber tubes. The general OD tolerance we achieve is +/-0.10mm and it can be even +/-0.05mm after our special surface process.

The maximum length of the tube can be 5500mm.

Besides the traditional table-rolled carbon fiber tubes, Shanghai Lijin also offers REAL Filament wound carbon fiber tubes,which are widely used for mechanical strength like auto driving shaft, antennas, even for military

applications. The filament wound carbon tubes are wound at a certain angle like 30 or 45 degree. We invested the new production line from Jun 2013 and this increases Shanghai Lijin’s advantage in the carbon

fiber tube industry. There are just a few real filament wound carbon fiber tube manufacturers in domestic

China and we are one of them.
 

Since the rapid growth of UAV in the international market, instead of the standard plane like Phantom from DJI, RC fans are getting more interested in the customized multicopters. As carbon fiber is the most preferred

material for UAV, Carbon Fiber CNC parts demand is increasing. Shanghai Lijin sticks to offering OEM service for the international market, fine quality and prompt delivery.To ensure the thickness tolerance +/-0.10mm and minimum warp of the Carbon Fiber plates that are used for the cutting, Shanghai lijin execute high standard to

the plate production. For the normal thicknesses including 1.0mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm, 3.0mm,
Shanghai Lijin keeps regular stock, to make sure the raw material will be available for cutting immediately when order is firmed.Experienced engineers are in Shanghai Lijin’s office ready to deal with different types of

drawings from customers. No matter the drawing formats are .DWG, .DXF that can be edited by AutoCAD

and used directly for production, 3D drawings like .IGS, or even draft drawings, our staff can do adjustment and change to customer’s idea. Our engineers are also good at English communication, Email and IM is easy

for them. Editing drawings for customers is FREE* of charge. Shanghai Lijin is having several professional CNC machines for carbon fiber cutting and drilling, with the capacity of cutting 20-50pcs standard full sized plate per day. The carbon fiber chassis general cutting tolerance Shanghai Lijin offer is +/-0.02mm. The

special designed cutting solution ensures the smoothness of the cutting edge.

‘Customers’ Persuit for Change, Lijin’s Motivation for Growth’, Shanghai Lijin takes customers’ demand for center, enhances the
customer satisfaction, and grows with customer.