Methods and apparatus to remove gas and vapor from a panel for a decorative layer are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a first press plate of a hot press to engage a first surface of a panel. The hot press is to apply heat to the panel via the first press plate to cure resin of the panel. A first portion of the first press plate is composed of a permeable material to remove at least one of gas or vapor from the panel to deter the at least one of gas or vapor from exerting a pressure on a decorative layer to be coupled to the panel to deter separation of a portion of the decorative layer from the panel.

A method for producing a sandwich panel with a reinforced foam core includes inserting rod-shaped, thermoplastic reinforcing elements into a thermoplastic foam material such that the reinforcing elements extend through the foam material. End regions of the reinforcing elements project out of the foam material. The foam material is thermoformed to form a reinforced foam core, wherein the end regions of the reinforcing elements are integrally formed by applying temperature and pressure to the cover surfaces of the foam material and are bonded to the foam material in a fused connection. A thermoplastic cover layer is laminated on either side by applying temperature and pressure to the reinforced foam core on the cover surfaces of the foam material in order to form the sandwich panel, wherein the cover layers are bonded to the reinforced foam core in a fused connection.

An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.

A three-dimensional structure according to the present invention is a three-dimensional structure defined by X, Y, and Z directions, including: a body portion in which a plurality of through holes extending in the X direction are disposed in alignment in at least one of the Y and Z directions; and a partition portion that is provided in at least one of the through holes and that partitions the through hole in at least one location in an axial direction of the through hole, wherein the three-dimensional structure is formed by a rubber composition.

A substructure and its method of use eliminates core crush during the manufacturing of a hybrid sandwich-structured composite panel. The substructure is used in the manufacturing of the hybrid sandwich-structured composite panel by positioning a core of the composite panel in a cavity of the substructure and positioning the substructure and the core between layers of composite material where the substructure protects the core from core crush as the hybrid sandwich-structured composite panel is subjected to vacuum pressure and heat during autoclaving and then cured.

A panel for cladding a ceiling or wall in a cabin, especially the cabin of a passenger aircraft, in which a board is laminated on both sides with a cover layer which is made of fibrous material or fabric, which is impregnated with resin or a thermoplastic material, and is cured under the effects of pressure and temperature, said board having at least one core with a honeycomb structure formed by a large number of walls, said walls being compressed or bent in a pre-defined region of the board by between 5% and 50%.

An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.

A method of forming a cored composite laminate, the method including forming a first recess in a first coupling surface of a first layer of the cored composite laminate, forming a second recess in a second coupling surface of a second layer of the cored composite laminate so that when the first layer of the cored composite laminate and the second layer of the cored composite laminate are coupled, the first recess and the second recess form a cavity through the cored composite laminate, and disposing a shape memory alloy member in the cavity, so that the shape memory alloy member supports the cored composite laminate during curing of the cored composite laminate.

A method of forming a cored composite laminate, the method including forming a first recess in a first coupling surface of a first layer of the cored composite laminate, forming a second recess in a second coupling surface of a second layer of the cored composite laminate so that when the first layer of the cored composite laminate and the second layer of the cored composite laminate are coupled, the first recess and the second recess form a cavity through the cored composite laminate, and disposing a shape memory alloy member in the cavity, so that the shape memory alloy member supports the cored composite laminate during curing of the cored composite laminate.

Methods and apparatus to form venting channels on a panel for a decorative layer are disclosed. An example method includes contacting an outer surface of a tool to an outer resin layer of a panel. The outer surface of the tool has protrusions. The example method includes moving the outer surface of the tool on the outer resin layer of the panel in a first direction to cause the protrusions of the tool to form first venting channels on the outer resin layer of the panel and coupling a decorative layer to the outer resin layer of the panel via an adhesive layer. The first venting channels are to vent at least one of gas or vapor away from the decorative layer to deter separation of a portion of the decorative layer from the outer resin layer.