Carbon fibre car parts can be manufactured in many ways – they are not all are created equally.

There are many misconceptions about carbon fibre. Hence, the aim of this blog is to highlight the key differences between types of carbon fibre that are commonly used to produce automotive aero parts.

In the automotive sphere, the term "carbon fibre" is associated with a material that is light weight, durable and is commonly known to be quite expensive. This assumption is what causes confusion as these key elements to carbon fibre are variable, and not the same across all parts. This variability is caused from differences in manufacturing techniques, the ingredients used and overall structural design. For the purposes of this blog, we split the carbon fibre most used for automotive parts into two distinctive types: Wet and Dry Carbon Fibre.

Wet Carbon is manufactured by laying Carbon Fiber cloth and coating it in an epoxy resin before placing it into the mould. The resin and carbon cloth are vacuum sealed to cure. The pressure of the vacuum forces the resin into the cloth and surrounds it. In addition, to provide structural support, many manufactures will commonly use plastic or fiberglass as an underlay.  This method is cheaper making it very popular for automotive applications.

Dry Carbon goes through a much more intricate manufacturing process. The carbon cloth used has the epoxy resin pre applied into the fibers. Dry Carbon is also referred to as “pre-pregged” carbon, as the resin is pre-impregnated into the fiber. The pre-impregnated carbon is then placed into an autoclave where it is cured under high pressure and heat which fixes any irregularities and further strengthens the material. This process allows Dry Carbon to be much thinner and stronger than Wet Carbon. 

So, whats the difference between Wet and Dry? Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of both.

Advantages of Wet Carbon Fiber

• Usually, it is much more affordable
• Finished products have a more 3D look due to thicker resin clear coat

Disadvantages of Wet Carbon Fiber

• Weaker and heavier than its dry counterpart
• Will fade unless properly maintained (ceramic coat / regular waxing can fix this problem)

Advantages of Dry Carbon Fiber

• Up to 60% Lighter as there is no excess resin or underlying material
• Significantly stronger
• Neater and more consistent carbon weave pattern

Disadvantages of Dry Carbon Fiber

• Almost four times as expensive to produce

So, which one is more suitable for you? If you are after just the "carbon look" and are not too fussed about the weight of the part. Wet Carbon is definitely the one to go for. Dry Carbon is for those who are looking for the lightest weight possible.

We hope that this article has given you a better understanding of Carbon Fibre and will help you choose the most suitable parts for you and your car! At Zero Offset, we are commited to providing the highest quality in both Wet and Dry Carbon. If you still have some unanswered questions please contact us and our team will be happy to assist!