I was looking for some spread tow and noticed cristex have a few different types in their range
I saw this a couple of years ago, but it is not drapeable, it’s perfect for flat pieces
http://media-cache-lt0.pinterest.com/upload/131589620332525832_MEXVWkfo_f.jpg
Sayin’. Not sure what your point is, but many companies, even weaving places like Bally, Toray, etc, do spread tow. Oxeon is the main company doing it. They have the best advertising.
Does spread tow lay better in tight corners and curves? whats the advantages of it
price advantage: 12K carbon is cheaper than 3K. With spread tow you can make light fabrics with heavy tow.
less crimps flatter fiber
Can someone explain me what does spread tow means exactlly ? i thought its kind of “tight” carbon fiber
Spread tow is a literal description of what is done to the fiber when the fabric is made. The carbon tow is run over a series of rollers where it is spread out wider and flatter than its nominal width of .5" or so. The areal weight of a fabric is controlled by the linear density of the input tows, measured in grams per 1000 meters or yards per pound, and the number of tows per inch. For a given fabric weight spreading the fiber allows the fabric producer to use less tows per inch of a higher linear density fiber, 12K or 24k which as Herman said is cheaper than 1k or 3k, and still make a fabric that is aesthetically pleasing with no gaps.
I believe the Oxeon products are made by first spreading carbon tows into tapes which are held together with a melted thermoplastic veil, these tapes are then woven into a fabric.
There are also stitch-bonded spread tow fabrics which completely remove the crimps from the fabric.