Lighter in weight than any other wood, yet still strong, these balsa cores stiffen composite sandwiches without weighing them down. They resist damage from impact and repeated use. Because they don’t let heat or sound pass through quickly, these cores are good natural insulators. They also resist chemicals. All come from balsa trees grown in FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified forests. They cannot be sold to Canada due to import regulations.

Rigid cores are often used in panels for partitions, industrial tanks, and other stiff structures.

Flexible cores are best for forming complex shapes.

Often used to build frames and structures, these lightweight sheets combine the strength and stiffness of carbon fiber with the impact resistance of Kevlar. With carbon fiber on the outer layers, these sheets are extremely difficult to bend—they’re nearly as stiff as pure carbon fiber. The carbon fiber layers also provide good strength under tension, comparable to 6061 aluminum. Sandwiched between the carbon fiber layers of these sheets is a Kevlar core. Known for its toughness, the Kevlar core helps prevent sheets from failing under a variety of stresses, such as punctures, cuts, impact, and wear. The Kevlar core also has a lower density than carbon fiber, making these sheets even lighter than sheets made from carbon fiber alone.

Sheets with 0.09 in. thickness have thicker layers of carbon fiber, making them stiffer than those with 0.06 in. thickness.