Wondering if a carbon fiber hinge would be useful for anything?
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What could it be applied to?
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Pitfalls and challenges?
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carbon hinge? what type of hinge are you thinking? LIke a living hinge? Or a three part hinge?
Could be applied in car doors 
Pro’s:
Make the hinge and part in one shot.
Looks cool.
Light and strong.
Easily customisable.
Cons:
a bit harder to build/apply.
Pitfalls and challenges:
Engineering, tooling, and alignment.
There is not a lot I can tell you about the (this) actual process due to contracts, but is is done by multiple persons and companies. Or you could always hire me 
Susho nailed it for the normal hinge, made from carbon fiber.
But if you want to use CF in a hinge that is like, a bent piece of plastic, then no. It is not a good idea. There are several other materials that would work better, like aramid, UHMWPE, and LCPs. Carbon and glass are brittle and will fail with tight bending. CF is good for springs, but not a hinge.
Is that your kickstarter page? kck.st/1fGCj4e
interesting concept, been working with the laser a lot myself, i’ll give this process a try and see what it’s worth. Not really what I’d think of for aerospace or automotive applications as they desingers claim it can be used to “make anything from a continuous piece of carbonfiber” But still useful. Not like it’s a new technique, this how satellites are made with folded sandwiches.
that kickstarter scares me. They are zapping away the resin with the laser, creating a hinge, because there is no resin in that strip…meaning…free CF that will be exposed. NOT something I want in my clothes… Unless they coat it with a PUR or something…noooo thanks.
You are close with the folded sandwich, but there are other things involved there…milling to take out the core, and less plies in the corners to allow folding. Else, there ARE systems for satellites that involve uncured prepreg and an inflatable bladder. The system unfolds and blows up, and the prepreg is cured by the heat of the sun.
REally they do that with pre preg? Interesting idea… never thought of that but yah, could be good.
And yes, there is maching involved in sandwhich construction! :nuts:
There’s also lasers involved in these guys project! 
Hexcel has a sandwich panel info guide thingy:
http://www.hexcel.com/Resources/DataSheets/Brochure-Data-Sheets/Honeycomb_Sandwich_Design_Technology.pdf
I haven’t made these structures with the bent pannel but from what i’ve read, it’s pretty easy and straight forward. there are also loads of potted inserts, connectors, and what not to join them or edge seal them. I’m getting a new 3axis mill soonish and may have to try some of these techniques for myself.
Still though, this laser thing could be interesting. THey say in their project that the back side of the hinge, where they laser blast it is covered with a tape so it’s not raw fibers showing. I don’t mind a little carbon fiber, does’nt bother me too much… it’s the sharp edges that scare me. Slice! :eek:
coolest thing i’ve learned today.
ILC Dover (the space suit maker) has done a bunch of weird things like this. Amazing stuff. Not sure what their website has, but it might be cool to talk to someone about it.