Match materials and layups to product function, from sports and audio to industrial structures.
Sports · composite table-tennis blades
Combine wood characteristics and composite stiffness while considering blade weight, thickness, feel and control. CARO connects composite-layer development with blade and handle design, manufacture and assembly.
Composite table-tennis blade development example
Materials and layup
Combine two Carbon/Elium® or Basalt/Elium® composite layers with wood veneers and a core. Fabric specifications, wood species and layer thickness are selected for the intended use.
Playing characteristics
Adjust stiffness, weight and balance for offensive, defensive and other playing preferences. Feel and control are assessed with prototypes.
Blade and handle manufacture
Consider profile design, machining, wood/composite bonding and handle assembly together. Handle shape and materials can be developed for the required grip.
The symmetric structure comprises one central core, four veneers and two composite layers. Use two Carbon/Elium® or two Basalt/Elium® layers, with a coordinated veneer/core selection. Earlier development explored woods including KIRI, BALSA, HINOKI, KOTO and LIMBA, alongside carbon, basalt and hybrid composites.
Current thermoplastic development follows material selection → layup design → blade manufacture → handle assembly → prototype evaluation. Final weight, thickness and performance are defined by product.
Audio · speaker cones and drivers
Speaker diaphragms require consideration of low weight, stiffness for shape retention and vibration damping. CARO has experience combining fabric, resin, thickness and cone geometry, then assembling formed diaphragms into drivers for acoustic evaluation.
Composite diaphragms
Consider Carbon/Elium® and Basalt/Elium®. Fiber/fabric specifications, resin content, layup and geometry are selected against the required frequency range and driver structure.
Forming and driver assembly
Connect material preparation, preheating, mold forming and perimeter finishing. Assess assembly and bonding of the formed cone and driver components such as the surround.
Acoustic evaluation
Assess prototypes through listening and sound-pressure measurements. Verify the complete driver rather than infer sound quality from material properties alone.
Audio · composite enclosures
Apply Carbon/Elium® and Basalt/Elium® to speaker enclosures. Consider geometry, wall stiffness, weight and vibration behavior together with driver mounts, joints and airtightness. CARO holds patents related to speaker units and enclosures.
Prototype manufacture and evaluation experience
Table-tennis blades
The 2017 records of DK (D&K Composites), CARO’s predecessor business, document wood/composite combinations, blade and handle design, machining, bonding and multiple prototypes.
Speaker diaphragms and drivers
The 2020 development reports document diaphragm forming with multiple fibers and hybrids, driver assembly and listening evaluations.
External sound-pressure testing
Reports KOTMI-21-A013, A014 and A015 from the Korea Textile Machinery Convergence Research Institute document SPL measurements for G01, C01 and B01/B02 specimens.
Earlier blade development includes epoxy composites; speaker development includes PP composites. These records demonstrate development, manufacturing and evaluation experience. Performance of current Elium® products is assessed separately.
Expansion into industry, energy and construction
Wind-energy and solar structures, and construction components, are prospective prototype-development fields. CARO holds FRP rebar-related patents. Materials and structures are selected against loads, service environments and required specifications.
From product idea to prototype
Material selection → layup design → prototype manufacture → evaluation and technical support for production. Drawings or reference products accelerate review; development scope can also be discussed from an initial idea. Before sharing detailed drawings or technical information, agree an NDA or an MOU with confidentiality provisions as needed.
