Karwon Composites supplies woven and unidirectional reinforcement by the metre or by the roll.
Tell us the shape, the process and whether the surface is visible, and we will point you to the right cloth.
Choosing a carbon fibre fabric comes down to three things: the weave, the weight in gsm, and the tow size. The weave decides how the cloth drapes and how it looks, the weight decides how much material you lay down per layer, and the tow size affects both the appearance and how easily it conforms. Get those three right and the rest follows.
Weave types
Plain weave. Each fibre bundle passes alternately over and under, giving a tight, stable cloth with a fine chequerboard look. It holds its shape well on the bench and resists distortion, but it is the least willing to drape over curves. Good for flat and gently curved panels.
2x2 twill. Bundles pass over two and under two, producing the diagonal pattern most people picture when they think of carbon fibre. Twill drapes far better than plain over complex shapes and is the most popular choice for cosmetic surfaces. It is the default for most general work.
4 harness satin. A looser interlacing that drapes the best of the woven options and lies very flat, which suits tight curves and demanding shapes. The trade-off is that it distorts more easily during handling, so it needs a more careful hand.
Unidirectional. Almost all fibres run one way, held with light cross stitching. This puts maximum strength along a single axis and is used for spars, stiffeners and reinforcing a known load path rather than for general skins.
Biaxial and triaxial. Stitched, not woven, with fibres laid straight in two or three directions. Because the fibres are not crimped over and under each other, they perform better structurally than an equivalent woven cloth. These are the choice for structural laminates where appearance does not matter.
What gsm actually tells you
Areal weight, in grams per square metre, is how much fibre sits in a square metre of cloth. Lighter fabrics build thickness slowly and conform well to detail, which suits thin skins, small parts and surface layers. Heavier fabrics build thickness fast with fewer plies, which saves labour on large or thick laminates but conforms less readily to tight curves.
A practical way to think about it: a lighter cloth gives you finer control over the final thickness, while a heavier cloth gets you there in fewer steps. Many layups use both, a lighter surface ply over heavier structural plies underneath.
3K and 12K tow
Tow size is the number of filaments in each bundle. 3K bundles are finer, giving a tighter, smaller weave pattern that most people find more attractive, and they conform better to detail. 12K bundles are larger, producing a bolder pattern and covering area faster, which is often more economical for bigger structural parts. Neither is stronger in itself, the difference is in bundle size, appearance and handling.
Choosing a fabric
Work through it in this order:
- Is the surface visible? If yes, lean to 3K twill.
- Is the shape complex? The more curvature, the more you want twill or satin over plain.
- Is it structural rather than cosmetic? Consider biaxial or triaxial, or unidirectional for a single load path.
- How thick is the laminate? Heavier cloth for thick parts, lighter for thin skins and detail.
- Check the resin system suits your process, whether hand lay-up, infusion or prepreg.
Sourcing carbon fibre fabric in the UAE
Karwon supplies carbon fibre fabrics across plain, twill, satin, unidirectional, biaxial and triaxial weaves in a range of areal weights and widths, by the linear metre or in rolls, with short lead times, and documentation requirements agreed at quotation stage.
If you are choosing between weaves for a specific part, tell us the shape, the process and whether the surface is visible, and we will point you to the right cloth. More on buying material here: sourcing carbon fibre in the UAE. Or send your requirement through our contact page.