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LUVOCOM® XCF: What is behind the high-performance compound?

LUVOCOM® XCF: What is behind the high-performance compound?

In XCF, X stands for Extra. Behind this is the extra carbon fiber technology from the LEHVOSS high-performance compounds product line. With an emphasis on extra: in terms of material properties, it stands for extra stiff, extra strong and extra tough. In terms of customer requirements, it stands for extra-flexible, extra-modifiable and extra-customizable. Provided that one has mastered the entire spectrum of development and compounding: Then nothing stands in the way of improving properties simultaneously, along the three dimensions without sacrificing performance.

Extra No. 1: The know-how of the raw material source flows into LUVOCOM XCF.

Some think: carbon fiber is carbon fiber - just “rods” made of carbon. This is a mistake that is about as meaningful as “metal rod” in terms of material properties: namely, not at all. And just as the metal rod can consist of copper, brass, steel or aluminum, among other things, the carbon fiber also has a large number of performance parameters. From the number of graphite layers to the graphite structure to the way in which the graphite layers are folded. What sets LUVOCOM XCF apart in advance is the ability to precisely select the right fiber for the later application / property.

Extra No. 2: The know-how about shearing and processing flows into LUVOCOM XCF.

Operating an extruder is both an art and science. The art is to know exactly how the raw materials react or interact during processing. This is the only way to use raw material characteristics in the course of processing in an economically efficient and production-oriented manner.

Extra No. 3: The know-how of interdisciplinary work flows into LUVOCOM XCF.

In many thermoplastic applications material stiffness is highly desired. However, if it is based solely on the equation "high number of fibers = high rigidity", something does not run smoothly economically and in terms of production technology: the high rigidity then often results from the compensation of non-optimal production and non-optimal fiber quality through a significantly increased fiber quantity. However, more fibers usually lead to a progressive decrease in ductility, which also massively reduces strength again from a maximum point. This leads to an extreme drop in impact strength.

LUVOCOM XCF is characterized by the fact that all performance parameters can be optimized at the same time. LUVOCOM XCF is therefore not subject to the classic conflict of interests in the style of “I optimize one property and ruin everything else”. This optimization according to a spider diagram - in which all axes grow positively at the same time - naturally only works within the framework of the chemical / physical laws. However, using them to their maximum in a targeted and recurring manner - that is the know-how of a specialty compounder who is fully proficient in interdisciplinary work.

Extra No. 4: LUVOCOM XCF adapts to the processing.

The competency of a specialty compounder like LEHVOSS also means that a compound - from the LUVOCOM XCF product line - can be adapted to the intended production variant on the part of the processor / customer. This opens up a larger processing window for the processor. For example, he does not have to work absolutely to the point (so his options are not limited from the start), but can choose his parameters more freely - for example in order to comply with special dimensions or to increase process speeds.

LUVOCOM XCF combines the demands of chemists and engineers on structural materials.

Extra No. 5: LUVOCOM XCF brings engineering and chemist thinking on top of one another

The possibility of using LUVOCOM XCF to specifically and repeatedly exhaust the physical maximum makes products and applications possible that were previously unthinkable. One of the prerequisites in development for this is that the requirements of the engineer for the properties of a material on the one hand match the chemical formulas in the chemist's head on the other. LUVOCOM XCF offers the necessary design leeway in which both "parties" can find each other and thus arrive at an innovative solution.

Extra No. 6: LUVOCOM XCF is a metal substitute that reduces Carbon footprint

Both the pure weight savings compared to metal parts and the energy and waste savings (in the context of an injection molding or 3D printing process) open up new potential for Carbon savings that cannot be realized within a classic machining process. In addition, LUVOCOM XCF can be recycled as a thermoplastic material, processed and fed back into the production process. Sustainability and a reduced Carbon footprint are therefore guaranteed.

Conclusion: LUVOCOM XCF is an unparalleled technology with reliable material data

LUVOCOM XCF stands for extra carbon fiber compounds, the material data documents:

  • How firm, stiff and tough they actually are
  • Do not decrease in elongation at break
  • Stronger than structural steel
  • Just as stiff as aluminum

This makes LUVOCOM XCF a high-performance material whose diverse design options enable its user to redefine the limits of what is possible at any time.

Click: LUVOCOM XCF Flyer (PDF)