It definitely gets 'fuzzy' once all factors are being considered. I recall a study done by a carbon fiber mast builder that compared a vacuum+oven mast to an autoclaved version of identical construction. Shockingly, the autoclaved version underperformed. Their engineers came to understand that the additional compaction had reduced wall thickness enough that the tube (mast) became weaker from a purely geometrical standpoint. That scenario altered the way I think about composites --sometimes you don't really want what you think you want, i.e. fiber ratios, compaction, etc.
Top-quality Hand Lay-up Beats Second-rate Infusion Any Day
It definitely gets 'fuzzy' once all factors are being considered. I recall a study done by a carbon fiber mast builder that compared a vacuum+oven mast to an autoclaved version of identical construction. Shockingly, the autoclaved version underperformed. Their engineers came to understand that the additional compaction had reduced wall thickness enough that the tube (mast) became weaker from a purely geometrical standpoint. That scenario altered the way I think about composites --sometimes you don't really want what you think you want, i.e. fiber ratios, compaction, etc.