A vehicle component that includes at least one fiber preform. The fiber preform includes a substrate, a fiber bundle having one or more types of reinforcing fibers, and a thread. The fiber bundle is arranged on the substrate and attached to the substrate by a plurality of stitches of the thread to form a first preform layer having a principal orientation. The vehicle component includes a core having a geometry with at least one edge and at least one the fiber preforms positioned along the at least one edge, the core and the fiber preform being overmolded in a resin. A process of making the vehicle component includes providing the core having the at least one edge, positioning the at least one fiber preform along the at least one edge, and overmolding the core and the at least one fiber preform in the resin.

Provided is an improvement in a method for manufacturing a slit carbon fiber bundle. The method for manufacturing a slit carbon fiber bundle of the present invention is a method including a step of forming a resin film on one surface of a flat carbon fiber bundle to obtain a single-sided coated carbon fiber bundle, and a step of partially slitting the single-sided coated carbon fiber bundle using a slitter roll to obtain a slit carbon fiber bundle, which has been split into sub-bundles, wherein in the step of slitting, the single-sided coated carbon fiber bundle contacts a circumferential surface of the slitter roll on a surface where the resin film has been formed.

belts and methods of manufacturing the same are described herein. The belt generally includes a base layer having a plurality of surface features (e.g., ribs or teeth) formed on a front surface of the base layer, and a stretched surface layer disposed on and conforming to the surface features. The stretched surface layer may comprise a knit fabric material that is from about 3 to about 10 wt. % elastomeric fiber or yarn and from about 90 to about 97 wt. % non-elastomeric yarn or fiber. The stretched surface layer is stretched over the front surface of the base layer such that the surface density of the stretched surface layer on the front surface is from about 100 to about 150 g/m.sup.2. Manufacturing methods for producing the belt with stretched surface layer generally includes disposing the surface layer on a planar front surface of the base layer and pressing a mold into the front surface of the base layer to thereby form a plurality of surface features in the front surface of the base layer. The molding step is carried out such that surface density of the surface layer on the front surface is in the range of from about 100 to about 150 g/m.sup.2 and such that the surface layer is stretched in at least two directions.

A method for producing a braided preform, includes the steps of: a) creating a braided sleeve from filler threads and braiding threads in a braiding process, for which purpose the filler threads and braiding threads are taken off thread accumulators, b) feeding a core to the braided sleeve, c) continuing the braiding process, wherein the core is advanced such that it is braided along its length, wherein, during step c), the take-off of at least one filler thread is blocked such that the at least one filler thread is pulled out of at least one section of the braided sleeve surrounding the core.

A braided sleeve is formed having complex geometry, including multiple geometries along the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis. In particular, along a first portion of the braided sleeve's longitudinal axis, multiple tows are intertwined with each other. Along a second portion, at least one of the tows is removed from being intertwined with the other tows and is relocated to an interior or an exterior of the braided sleeve. A third portion of the braded sleeve along the longitudinal axis includes the removed tow being intertwined with the plurality of tows again. In this manner, the braided sleeve may provide coverage of preforms with varying diameters along the longitudinal axis of the preforms.

A weaving loom for weaving a multilayer fabric with weft insertion mechanism (90) and main heddles moved by a Jacquard main shedding mechanism for guiding main warp yarns (12) and defining a main harness width (W11). According to the invention, the weaving loom includes auxiliary heddles (21) moved by an auxiliary shedding mechanism, for guiding auxiliary warp yarns (22) and defining a clamping area (W21) arranged within the main harness width (W11). At a first pick, the auxiliary heddles are configured for closing the auxiliary shed of auxiliary warp yarns for clamping an inserted weft (100) while the main shed is still open.

The present invention relates to a fan blade (3) having a structure made from a composite material, comprising a fibrous reinforcement (5), which is obtained by three-dimensional weaving of warp strands and weft strands, and a matrix in which the fibrous reinforcement (5) is embedded, wherein—the fibrous reinforcement (5) comprises a first portion (14) forming the trailing edge (9) of the structure made from a composite material and a second portion (15) forming its leading edge (8), and wherein—the warp strands of the fibrous reinforcement (5) comprise first strands (12) having a predetermined stiffness and second strands (13) having a greater stiffness than that of the first strands (12), the first portion (14) comprising all or part of the first strands (12) and being devoid of second strands (13) while the second portion (15) comprises all or part of the second strands (13).

A power transmission belt includes a belt body made of an elastomer, and a cord made of carbon fibers and provided to be embedded in the belt body and to form a helical pattern having a pitch in the belt width direction. When the cord is viewed from a side orthogonal to its length direction, an angle 0 of an outermost filament in the filament bundle of the carbon fibers forming the cord with respect to the length direction of the cord is 8° or more to 20° or less.

A fiber-reinforced composite material and a method of manufacturing the fiber-reinforced composite material are disclosed. The fiber-reinforced composite material includes a fabric manufactured by weaving a weft including a synthetic fiber and a warp including a synthetic fiber, a carbon fiber, or a combination thereof, and a resin with which the fabric is impregnated and/or coated, wherein the resin includes urethane, urethane acrylate, urea, epoxy, acryl, polycarbonate, polymethyl methacrylate, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyvinyl butyral, or any combination thereof.

A prepreg according to the invention comprises: a raw yarn treated by a sizing agent; a thermoplastic resin material; and a thermosetting resin material; wherein the thermoplastic resin material coats at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the raw yarn, wherein the thermosetting resin material coats at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the thermoplastic resin material, or wherein the thermosetting resin material coats at least a part of the outer peripheral surface of the raw yarn, wherein the thermoplastic resin material coats at least a part of an outer peripheral surface of the thermosetting resin material, and wherein the thermosetting resin material is polymerized by heating.