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How are carbon rims made?

2025-03-19

How are carbon rims made?


Carbon fiber wheelsets have become increasingly popular in the bicycle industry over the past decade, revolutionizing the way cyclists approach performance, weight, and aerodynamics. Their widespread adoption can be attributed to several key factors, including technological advancements, competitive advantages, and shifting consumer preferences.

Although carbon fiber wheel sets are widely used, there are still many people who do not understand how carbon fiber rims are made.Now,we will describe this in detail below.

The first step is Carbon Prepreg Production,We purchase different kinds of carbon fibers from Toray Japan.According to the rims requirements,we produce the optimal epoxy resin.The carbon prepregs are carbon fibers saturated with epoxy resin through the machines and then kept in optimal condition through refrigeration at -5℃: a stable temperature for the resin.

The second step is Cutting Carbon Sheets,firstly we prepare the prepreg carbon fiber(pre-impregnated with custom proprietary high TG resin).According to the production schedule,we need to select the necessary carbon sheets.Carbon fiber sheets are cut into the desired angles of 0°, ±45°,±30°, and ±90°. The carbon fibers are precisely machine-cut into pieces. 

The third step is Lamination Preparation,our well trained staffs will prepare the different multiple layers of high-tensile carbon sheets,high modulus carbon reinforcement strips for the rim layup process.This step is very import to speed up the carbon rim production.Lamination prepares the different parts of the rim with the carbon sheets which allows us to arrange the product more easily.We have the unique innovation in the carbon sheets lamination which can balance the rim weight,durability,rigidity better.This innovation keep us stand out from many manufacturers.

The fourth step is Rim Layup, the premold eliminate the risk of fiber moving during layup transfer. We adopt two-in-one molds for manfacturing to make mold more precise.We have the unique patented molds for rim layup and with the custom air bags that match the inner shape of each specific model rim.These custom made bags ensure that the compression is equal on the entire inner surface of the rim during the molding process.Our layup technicians hand lay the fabric layers from the outer to the inner, constructing the rim body as well as fine details like bead hook and nipple reinforcement. After each overlap, we smooth the prepregs to ensure there are no wrinkles, fiber fractures, or air bubbles. When layups are finished, the two parts of the premold are merge into one mold and prepared for the next process.The technicians must check rim weight before the molding process.

The fifth step is Curing And Forming,during the molding process,heat and pressure are accurately controlled and monitored in the composite curing ovens.The rims will be formed under the temperature controlled molding heating curing equipments.

The sixth step is CNC Machining,after quality inspection,the rims are moved to CNC machining workshop to drill holes.We use aviation-grade CNC drills with drill bits specifically designed for drilling through advanced composites.All rims are drilled at a proper angle and good condition.

The seventh step is Refinement,after quality inspection,the rims will be tansferred to sanding worshop to be sanded.After quality inspection,the rims will be tansferred to sanding worshop to be sanded.Details determine success or failure.We focus on the rim details,we have special details treatment workshop to handle the details.

The eighth step is painting,the ultralight carbon rims are paintless but the traditional rims should be sent to the painting workshop for a glossy, matte, or any custom finish.

carbon rims