Carbon Fiber - 0070 Carbon fiber lay-up / Ply Orientation

Lay-up in carbon fiber manufacturing refers to the process of arranging layers of carbon fiber fabric or sheets in specific orientations to create a structure. Each layer, or "ply," is carefully positioned to achieve the desired strength, stiffness, and performance characteristics of the final product.

To facilitate the manufacturing process and ensure precise ply orientation, a "Warp (Ply) Clock" is used (refer to the image below). This clock is typically aligned with the X-axis of the part, which usually corresponds to the span-wise direction or the primary direction of the applied load. The alignment is clearly marked on the engineering drawing for the component.

In this system:

• 0° represents the X-axis.
• 90° represents the Y-axis.
• Positive (+) orientations are to the right of 0°.
• Negative (-) orientations are to the left of 0°.

In bicycle manufacturing, the most commonly used angles are 0° (in line), +45°, -45°, and 90° relative to the datum or axis. Additional angles may be utilized for specific applications or unique requirements.