One of the most common questions I get is how we actually make our parts. People see the finished product (clean weave, tight fitment, glossy clear coat) and want to know what goes into it. Every part in our catalogue is designed here in Australia, and the process from start to finish takes months, before a single part is ready to sell.
I want to walk through the full process because I think it explains why our parts fit the way they do, and why we charge what we charge. There are no shortcuts in this workflow. If there were, the parts wouldn't be worth putting our name on.
Step 1: 3D Scanning the Vehicle
Everything starts with the actual car. Before we draw a single line in CAD, we 3D scan the area of the vehicle where the part is going to sit. This captures the exact geometry of the body panels, mounting points, curves, and transitions down to the millimetre.
This matters because car bodies aren't perfectly symmetrical. There are subtle variations in panel gaps, curvature, and mounting point positions that you'd never notice by eye but would absolutely notice if a part didn't sit flush. The scan gives us a digital twin of the real surface so we're designing against actual geometry, not guesswork.
We use structured light scanning for this, which builds a high-resolution point cloud of the scanned area. That data gets cleaned up and turned into a mesh that we can work with in CAD.
Step 2: CAD Engineering
Once we have the scan data, the design work starts in CAD. This is where the part takes shape, literally.
The scan mesh gives us the exact surface the part needs to match. From there, we model the part geometry, wall thickness, edge profiles, and any mounting features. Every part is engineered specifically for carbon fibre layup, which means thinking about things like draft angles for mould release, fibre orientation for strength, and how the weave pattern will look on the visible surface.
We also build in the tolerances needed for a clean bolt-on or clip-on fit. The goal is OEM-level fitment, the kind where you install the part and it looks like it came on the car from the factory. That precision comes from this stage. If the CAD model is off by even a small margin, the finished part won't sit right and no amount of trimming will fix it.
Step 3: Mould Making
The CAD model gets turned into a physical mould. This is one of the most important steps in the entire process because the quality of every part that comes out of that mould is limited by the quality of the mould itself.
We produce our moulds from the CAD master, and the surface finish of the mould directly transfers to the surface finish of the part. A rough mould means a rough part. A precise mould means a precise part. There's no way to cheat this step.
Mould making is also one of the most time-consuming and expensive parts of developing a new product. A single mould can take weeks to produce, and if the first one isn't right, we start again. This is a big part of why expanding to a new vehicle takes time. Every new car needs its own set of moulds built from its own scans.
Step 4: Carbon Fibre Layup
This is where the part actually gets made. Real carbon fibre cloth, either 2x2 twill weave or forged carbon depending on the product, is hand laid into the mould.
Hand layup means exactly what it sounds like. A person is physically placing each piece of carbon fibre cloth into the mould by hand, making sure the weave is aligned properly, there are no wrinkles or air pockets, and the fibre orientation is correct for structural integrity. It's slow, precise work. Rushing this step or automating it with less care is how you end up with parts that have bubbles, misaligned weave, or weak spots.
For our twill weave parts, we use a standard 3K 2x2 twill, the same weave pattern you see on high-end motorsport components. For our forged carbon parts, we use chopped carbon fibre in a random orientation pattern, which gives that distinctive marbled look.
Step 5: Vacuum Bagging and Curing
After layup, the part goes into a vacuum bag. The vacuum pulls the carbon fibre tight against the mould surface and extracts any trapped air, which is critical for both structural strength and surface quality.
The bagged part is then cured under controlled heat and pressure. The curing process hardens the resin matrix that binds the carbon fibres together, consolidating everything into a rigid, lightweight composite structure. Temperature and time need to be precise. Too hot or too long and the resin can become brittle. Too cool or too short and the part won't fully cure.
We don't rush this step. Every part gets the full cure cycle it needs.
Step 6: Trimming
Once a part comes out of the mould, the edges are rough. Raw carbon fibre has a natural fraying tendency at cut lines, and the excess material from the layup process needs to be removed.
Every part is hand trimmed to match the exact edge profile defined in the CAD model. This is done with cutting tools and finishing equipment, not scissors and sandpaper. The trim line has to be clean and consistent because it's visible on the finished part and it affects how the part fits against the vehicle body.
A sloppy trim job is one of the easiest ways to spot a low-quality carbon fibre part. If the edges are rough, uneven, or show fraying fibres, the manufacturer cut corners here. Ours are trimmed to spec every time.
Step 7: Clear Coating
The trimmed part receives a UV-stable gloss clear coat. This serves two purposes.
First, it protects the carbon fibre from UV damage. Uncoated carbon fibre will yellow and degrade when exposed to direct sunlight over time. That's a real problem in Australia where UV intensity is among the highest in the world. The clear coat blocks UV penetration and keeps the weave looking sharp for years.
Second, it gives the part its final appearance. The clear coat fills in the texture of the weave slightly, adding depth and gloss that makes the carbon pattern pop. A well-applied clear coat is the difference between a part that looks like raw material and a part that looks finished and professional.
We apply the clear coat in controlled conditions to avoid dust contamination, runs, or uneven coverage. It's then left to cure fully before the part moves to the next stage.
Step 8: Quality Control
Every single part is inspected before it gets packed. We check fitment dimensions against the CAD model, surface finish for any imperfections, weave consistency across the visible area, and clear coat quality.
If a part doesn't pass, it doesn't ship. Occasionally that means scrapping a part that took hours to produce. That's the cost of maintaining a standard. We'd rather absorb the loss on our end than have a customer receive something that doesn't meet the mark.
Step 9: Packing and Shipping
Parts that pass QC are individually wrapped and packed into reinforced boxes with foam protection. Carbon fibre is strong in the directions it's designed to handle load, but it can crack or chip on impact, especially thin trim pieces and edges. So we pack them like they're fragile, because in transit, they are.
Every order ships with tracking. Most in-stock orders leave within 1 to 3 business days. We ship direct to you. No third-party warehouses, no dropshipping middlemen. The part goes from our hands to yours.
Why This Process Matters
There's a reason our parts fit like factory pieces and hold up in Australian conditions year after year. It's not magic and it's not luck. It's the process. Every step exists because skipping it produces a worse result.
3D scanning means we design against real geometry, not approximations. CAD engineering means precision is built in from the start. Proper moulds mean consistent quality across every part. Hand layup means no air pockets or misaligned weave. Vacuum bagging and controlled curing means structural integrity. Hand trimming means clean edges. UV clear coat means long-term durability. And QC means nothing substandard leaves the workshop.
This is how we make parts at RB Innovations. If you want to see the results, browse the range at rb-innovations.com.au.