Start Here: What Are You Building?
The best material depends heavily on the type of part you’re making, how many you’re making, and what matters most—looks, weight, strength, or cost. Ask yourself:
- Is your part structural or cosmetic?
- Will it be exposed to heat, sunlight, or chemicals?
- Do you need only one or many?
- Do you have access to an oven or autoclave?
Let’s walk through both options with real-world use in mind.
Quick Overview: Prepreg vs Dry Fabric
| Feature | Prepreg Carbon Fiber | Dry Carbon Fiber Fabric |
|---|---|---|
| Resin | Pre-applied, factory controlled | Added manually or via infusion |
| Process | Requires oven or autoclave curing | Flexible: wet layup, vacuum bag, infusion |
| Storage | Must be frozen | Room temperature |
| Finish | High gloss, clean, aerospace quality | Depends on skill and post-processing |
| Cost | Higher | Lower |
| Ease of Use | Cleaner, but needs more equipment | Flexible, but messier and skill-based |
What Is Prepreg Carbon Fiber?
Prepreg carbon fiber comes with resin pre-applied in precise amounts by the manufacturer. It’s stored frozen until use and requires heat and often pressure to cure.
Key Benefits:
- Consistent resin content = consistent quality
- Stronger and lighter for structural parts
- Ideal for visible, clean-surface parts
- Reduced mess and faster layup time
Common Prepreg Applications:
- Aerospace: structural panels, fairings, drone arms
- Automotive: splitters, wings, monocoques, seat backs
- Sports gear: high-performance bicycles, racing helmets
- Electronics: drone frames, robotics arms
- Medical: prosthetics, bracing devices
Requirements:
- Freezer storage
- Controlled environment
- Oven or autoclave for curing
What is Dry Carbon Fiber Fabric?
Dry fabric is untreated carbon fiber cloth. You apply resin separately, either by hand (wet layup) or using vacuum infusion.
Key Benefits:
- Lower material cost
- Unlimited shelf life (if dry)
- Compatible with a wide range of resins
- Great for larger, simple shapes
Common Dry Fabric Applications:
- Automotive: hoods, trunks, diffusers, speaker enclosures
- Consumer products: laptop shells, fishing rods, phone cases
- DIY: RC car bodies, surfboard fins, cosplay armor
- Industrial: machine covers, tool enclosures
- Marine: fairings, kayak panels
Requirements:
- Time and practice to master resin ratios
- Vacuum pump or infusion setup (for clean results)
- More post-processing for clean finish
Customer Scenarios: What to Use and When
1. You want perfect looks and top strength
Choose prepreg. You’re building a drone arm or bike part where weight, strength, and surface finish matter. You can cure the part in an oven or autoclave.
2. You’re building in your garage
Go with dry fabric. You’re customizing a car hood or making a speaker box and don’t have industrial tools. You can get good results using vacuum bagging or even just wet layup with practice.
3. You’re prototyping
It depends. If you need multiple iterations fast, dry fabric can be easier to experiment with. But for accurate, high-performance prototypes, prepreg saves time on sanding and quality control.
4. You’re planning small batch production
Mix methods. Use prepreg for high-performance parts or high-end customer-facing products. Use dry carbon with infusion for internal or less critical parts to keep costs down.
How to choose resin?
The type of resin you use changes how the part behaves:
- Epoxy (most common): strong, stiff, good durability
- Vinyl ester: better chemical resistance, less expensive
- Polyester: more brittle but very cost-efficient
Prepregs usually come with high-quality epoxy. With dry fabrics, you have more freedom—but also more room for error. If you’re unsure, talk to us. We help match the right resin to the job.
Surface Finish Expectations
- Custom carbon fiber prepreg parts come out smooth and often don’t require painting. Great for exposed carbon.
- Custom carbon fiber dry fabric parts often needs post-processing like sanding and clear coating, especially if wet laid.
If you’re making parts that customers will see and touch—like interior panels or high-end gear—prepreg gives a better result with less finishing work.
Tooling and Equipment Needs
| Need | Prepreg | Dry Fabric |
| Freezer for storage | ✅ Required | ❌ Not needed |
| Oven or autoclave | ✅ Required | ❌ Optional (depends on method) |
| Vacuum system | Optional (helps with quality) | Recommended for clean results |
| Mold material | High-temp stable | Flexible (foam, MDF, etc.) |
Cost Comparison
Custom carbon fiber prepreg parts are more expensive, but may save time on finishing and rework. Custom carbon fiber dry fabric parts are cheaper upfront, but labor and material waste may add up if you’re learning or producing inconsistent parts.
If you’re unsure, we help our clients run cost-performance simulations for their use case.
Making the Call: What Should You Choose?
| Situation | Recommended Option |
| Structural, high-performance part | Prepreg |
| Visible part with cosmetic importance | Prepreg |
| Large, simple, or one-off part | Dry fabric |
| DIY or garage-level setup | Dry fabric |
| Small batch, mixed function | Hybrid or case-by-case |
We Can Help You Decide
Choosing the right carbon fiber method isn’t just technical—it’s strategic. You’re balancing performance, budget, tooling, and customer expectations.
As composite specialists, we support:
- Material selection based on your design goals
- Mold and tooling advice
- Layup and processing method guidance
- Prototyping and production support
Final Thoughts
Don’t just pick based on the material specs. Think about your specific part, your production setup, and your priorities—and let professionals help where it counts. The right choice now avoids cost overruns, delays, and disappointing results later.
Need advice on your custom carbon fiber part? Reach out to our team for expert guidance.
