Composite
Composites is a material in the Heavy Gear universe
Overview
Composites, as their name indicates, are a combination of two or more different materials. Most often, this means a fibrous material encased in a matrix of some sort, the fibres providing tensile strength andthe matrix providing structural integrity to the whole. Wood is a typical natural composite, a structure of cellulose fibers in a lignite matrix. Ferrocrete, a ceramic compound reinforced with metallic fibers, is another example of composite.
Composites are widely used in the 62nd century because they can be designed for almost any load and/or use. Any combination of materials — plastic, resin, ceramic or metal — may constitute a composite. For example, Durasheet is a weave of high strength alloy fibers in a semi-flexible ballistic polymer. Often, more than one type of fiber is used for additional strength or properties. The fibers are aligned within the composite during the manufacturing process, providing increased structural strength only in the direction required. This allows the designers to reduce the amount of material required, hence greatly reducing the overall weight of the part. For that reason, composites are widely used in the vehicle industry, particularly in aerospace manufacturing procedures.
Composites are custom designed for specific applications, creating materials with the perfect balance of strength, durability and weight. Unfortunately, composites are more expensive to prepare and much harder to repair since the damage, if any, is usually deep within the composite structure. Stress-induced core delamination, where micro-layers become separated within the material, is one such problem. In these cases, complete replacement of the affected piece is recommended.