Learn About Our Carbon Fiber Tubing

SHOP TUBING

DragonPlate offers a wide range of carbon fiber tubes for many different applications. Our tubes are manufactured by us here in the USA, giving us complete control over the characteristics and quality.

Carbon fiber tubes are used in numerous applications like tactical ladders, trusses, beams, and more. Carbon fiber is typically chosen over traditional materials such as aluminum, steel, and titanium because of the following properties:

• High strength and stiffness to weight
• Excellent resistance to fatigue
• Dimensional stability: Low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion)
• Resistance to corrosion
• X-Ray transparency
• Chemical resistivity

Learn More About Carbon Fiber Tubes

Roll Wrapped Prepreg Carbon Fiber Tubes

Roll wrapped prepreg carbon fiber tubes are constructed using multiple wraps of twill and/or unidirectional fabrics. Rolled tubes are ideal for applications that require the highest bending stiffness and lowest weight, such as automation, robotics, telescoping poles, idler rollers, and UAV components. Additionally, the longer length versions of these tubes have options for high and ultra high modulus carbon fiber, as well as choices for outer fabrics, such as colored Kevlar fabrics. The standard finish is cello-wrapped gloss, but a smooth sanded finish is also available.

Braided Carbon Fiber Tubes

Braided carbon fiber tubes are comprised of carbon fiber braid and unidirectional fabrics. They offer excellent torsional characteristics, as well as crush strength, and are ideal for high torque applications. These carbon tubes are available in round, rectangular and square and can be axially optimized or made with higher modulus carbon fibers for increased bending stiffness. The standard for these tubes is our proprietary natural surface finish, showing a wet shiny appearance. Many can also be cello-wrapped for a glossier look, or even peel ply texture finish for improved bonding.

Large Diameter Carbon Fiber Tubes

Our large diameter carbon fiber tubes are comprised of rolled bi-directional woven carbon fiber. This tubing is designed for large applications, such as telescope projects or light weight drums. Our carbon fiber large tubes come with a texture finish on both the inside and outside for easy bonding and painting.

If you do not see what you need, contact us to discuss manufacturing tubes to your custom specifications. See also our Tube Connector Systems and Kevlar Tubes.

Carbon Fiber Tubes FAQ

How is the diameter of your tubes measured?

Except for pultruded tubes (diameter measured from outside), all DragonPlate tube diameters are measured from the inside of the tube (ID). To determine the approximate outside diameter, add 2x the wall thickness to the ID measurement.

What finish options do you offer for your tubes?

Finish options include gloss, natural, textured and tooled, depending on tube type. Please see each tube type for finish options. We also offer a sanded finish upon request. Contact us for more details.

How do you recommend cutting DragonPlate carbon fiber tubes? Is there any safety gear that I should use?

DragonPlate carbon fiber tubes are pre-cut to the specified lengths or slightly oversized. The tubes are easily cut to length using a bandsaw, coping saw, or dremmel tool. Recommended precautions include wearing safety glasses, a dust respirator, and protective clothing when cutting, sanding or drilling, to limit exposure to the dust, which is an irritant.

Do you offer custom cutting of your carbon fiber tubes?

Yes!  We can custom cut our carbon fiber tubes to your specified length.  Contact us for details.