Fiber-reinforced nonwoven composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., leisure goods, aerospace, electronics, equipment, energy generation, mass transport, automotive parts, marine, construction, defense, sports and/or the like) are provided. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite includes a plurality of carbon fibers and a polymer matrix. The plurality of carbon fibers have an average fiber length from about 50 mm to about 125 mm. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite comprises a theoretical void volume from about 0% to about 10%.

Fiber-reinforced nonwoven composites having a wide variety of uses (e.g., leisure goods, aerospace, electronics, equipment, energy generation, mass transport, automotive parts, marine, construction, defense, sports and/or the like) are provided. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite includes a plurality of carbon fibers and a polymer matrix. The plurality of carbon fibers have an average fiber length from about 50 mm to about 125 mm. The fiber-reinforced nonwoven composite comprises a theoretical void volume from about 0% to about 10%.

A pan scale for weighing and ejecting fiber components onto a mixing belt includes an upwardly open container having a plurality of side walls and a bottom formed by a single piece comprising a rotatably hinged bottom flap rotatable from a closing position abutting on one of the side walls into an open position folded away from such side wall, or two pieces comprising rotatably hinged bottom flaps that are rotatable away from one another from an inner closing position abutting against one another into an outer open position. The single bottom flap or at least one of the two bottom flaps includes a retaining device on a bottom surface thereof. Upon opening of the respective bottom flap, a part of the fiber components are retained in the container by the retaining device up to a partial opening angle () of the bottom flap.

A pan scale for weighing and ejecting fiber components onto a mixing belt includes an upwardly open container having a plurality of side walls and a bottom formed by a single piece comprising a rotatably hinged bottom flap rotatable from a closing position abutting on one of the side walls into an open position folded away from such side wall, or two pieces comprising rotatably hinged bottom flaps that are rotatable away from one another from an inner closing position abutting against one another into an outer open position. The single bottom flap or at least one of the two bottom flaps includes a retaining device on a bottom surface thereof. Upon opening of the respective bottom flap, a part of the fiber components are retained in the container by the retaining device up to a partial opening angle () of the bottom flap.

A thermoformable non-woven material that meets at least one of the UL94 V-0 (2013) flammability standard and the ASTM E84-14 (2014) flammability standard. The material may include charring fiber having a denier per fiber at least about 3 and binding fiber having a denier per fiber between about 1 and about 8. The weight ratio of charring fiber to binding fiber may be between about 2:1 and about 4:1, and the denier per fiber of the charring fiber may be at least about twice the denier per fiber of the binding fiber.

A thermoformable non-woven material that meets at least one of the UL94 V-0 (2013) flammability standard and the ASTM E84-14 (2014) flammability standard. The material may include charring fiber having a denier per fiber at least about 3 and binding fiber having a denier per fiber between about 1 and about 8. The weight ratio of charring fiber to binding fiber may be between about 2:1 and about 4:1, and the denier per fiber of the charring fiber may be at least about twice the denier per fiber of the binding fiber.

An article of manufacture making system for making an article of manufacture containing a plurality of dry solid additives, such as fibers, that utilizes a dry solid additive delivery system comprising one or more dry solid additive inlets and one or more dry solid additive outlets wherein the dry solid additive delivery system exhibits a non-circular cross-section between at least one of the prime movers and at least one of the dry solid additive outlets such that the Stokes Number for the dry solid additives is less than 2000 is provided.

An article of manufacture making system for making an article of manufacture containing a plurality of dry solid additives, such as fibers, that utilizes a dry solid additive delivery system comprising one or more dry solid additive inlets and one or more dry solid additive outlets wherein the dry solid additive delivery system exhibits a non-circular cross-section between at least one of the prime movers and at least one of the dry solid additive outlets such that the Stokes Number for the dry solid additives is less than 2000 is provided.

An article of manufacture making system for making an article of manufacture containing a plurality of dry solid additives that utilizes a dry solid additive delivery system having at least one dry solid additive inlet and outlet such that the dry solid additives are conveyed through the dry solid additive delivery system facilitated by one or more prime movers such that the dry solid additives form an article of manufacture.

An article of manufacture making system for making an article of manufacture containing a plurality of dry solid additives that utilizes a dry solid additive delivery system having at least one dry solid additive inlet and outlet such that the dry solid additives are conveyed through the dry solid additive delivery system facilitated by one or more prime movers such that the dry solid additives form an article of manufacture.