Carbon Fiber shortage?

[WenULiVeUdiE]

It seems that all online stores are out of stock of HPA tanks. I have been told by numerous people that this is due to a shortage of the carbon fiber they wrap the tanks with. Can anyone verify this? Or shed some light on it? It's kind of...odd.

[SeeK]

They are probably diverting it to ramp up production of the Boeing 787s.

[magman007]

787? you mean the 7e7? thats the only real production verge boeing is working on at the moment

[nippinout]

787? you mean the 7e7? thats the only real production verge boeing is working on at the moment

'twas given a designation of 787.

link

[SeeK]

The model number became final after the big Chinese orders:

http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2005/q1/nr_050128h.html

http://www.boeing.com/commercial/7e7/flash.html

[magman007]

ah my appologies then! hadnt heard that yet

[SeeK]

It's either that or the military is using it but build something.

[Predator-KMK]

[CaliMagFan]

It seems that all online stores are out of stock of HPA tanks. I have been told by numerous people that this is due to a shortage of the carbon fiber they wrap the tanks with. Can anyone verify this? Or shed some light on it? It's kind of...odd.

only thing is that tanks are wrapped in fiber-GLASS.... not carbon fiber at all... and no... carbon is one of the most abundant elements in the known universe, we arent in a shortage.

[FreakBaller12]

uh oh back to the carbon fiber mines guys!

[paullus99]

Tank manufacturers only build tanks twice or three times a year - the safety testing is so thorough & expensive that they don't run continuous production. So, if there has been excessive demand on HPA tanks over the last production period, there would be a supply gap until the next production run.

[manike]

only thing is that tanks are wrapped in fiber-GLASS.... not carbon fiber at all... and no... carbon is one of the most abundant elements in the known universe, we arent in a shortage.

Not true. Some tanks are fibre glass wraps and some are carbon fibre wrapped.

The Carbon fibre wrapped tanks are lighter.

Yes there is a shortage right now. Some big military/aerospace project has taken up a huge amount of the supply and the price on carbon fibre tanks is going to go up. I was told this by the makers of Carlton tanks.

[skife]

there would be a supply gap until the next production run.

that would be a shortage.

[atcer]

actualy you all would be surprized to know that carbon fiber its self is only maufactured in one or two production runs a year... And military and aerospace get first dibs, then the private sectors. and that cool carbon fiber weave everyone loves the look of so much, is just for show. It does not ad anythning structuraly to the sheets of carbon. Infact, look at a carbon fiber bike, it has no weave, the fiber comes from the fact that the carbon "nano-tubes" are woven together, the weavy thing just looks cool. I learned that from TREK (the teach an all day class we were required to attend), they are one of the largest US buyers of Carbon Fiber, for use in the OCLV series of road bikes, and in limeted use in the off road line. ( I worked at a bike shop.)

[CaliMagFan]

this is an interesting thread..

my carlton tank is not carbon fiber.