Auto_Infantry

I agree, carbon fiber is very strong when stretching and bending, but weak when compressed or exposed to high shock.

But, take for example a CF strut bar or wing, it won't bend or flex easily, but when hit with something at high speed or if something heavy dropped on it, it will crack. The high shock or impact will crack carbon fiber, not necessarily break it, but cause structural failure in which the carbon will be able to be bent or stretched more so then when not cracked.The crack will only get bigger and spider if more flexing and bending are applied to the piece. Once Carbon fiber is cracked, typically it is rendered useless. Even when repaired, it will never be the same strength as it was before.

As for applications of typical automotive carbon fiber, you won't need multiple layers necessarily. Typically you have different types of carbon for different applications. Most common in the auto industry are as follow: Hand Laid;made by layering up carbon fiber in a similar process to fiberglass, multiple coats of resin/material are laid to create a finished product often made with a mold, Vacuum infusion; a single layer (sometimes more) of carbon fiber material, laid into a mold and sealed with a plastic sheet (often times called "bagged," one end of a tube has resin and the other a vacuum in which the resin is sucked in over the carbon fiber allowing it to have minimal usage of resin (which causes weight and structural rigidity loss in cf) yet enough to make a strong durable part, lastly, we have Pre-Preg carbon or what some people call "Dry Carbon" not to be confused with the "Dry carbon look" where a flat clear is sprayed on to the finished product. Pre-Preg carbon is infused at the materials manufacturing plant with temperature curing resin. It has resin already bonded with the cf and must be stored in a container below freezing (don't remember the numbers off the top of my head). When applied to a mold, it is "baked" in huge ovens (again don't remember the numbers which can vary) which will cause the resin which it was impregnated with to begin its curing process. These are just a few of the different types of CF you will find.

The point of Carbon fiber is to create a strong rigid piece that also eliminates the need of multiple layering such as is found in Fiberglass or FRP which causes weight a majority of the weight. For example a hatch from a car can weigh in at about 50+ lbs. At hand laid levels you can cut that weight in half so about 25lbs. Vacuum Infusion we can achieve a little more then half or 3/4 of the hand laid weight so about 14-16 lbs. With Dry Carbon you can achieve a little less then vacuum infusion, about 10-13 lbs.