This specification discloses an article of manufacture. The article of manufacture has at least one structural blank and at least one guide. The structural blank has a plurality of oriented fiber plies in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide has a plurality of random dispersed fibers in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide is affixed to the structural blank by injection molding and over molding the guide onto the structural blank. The article of manufacture can take a number of forms for use in industries such as aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, trains or watercraft.

A method of manufacturing a composite structural member including laying up a stack of fiber reinforced laminate plies, wherein at least one of the plies is laid up as discrete first and second ply portions, and the fibers of the second portion have a different characteristic from those of the first portion. Also, a composite structural member manufactured according to the method.

A fastening element for attaching to a wall. The fastening element having a contact element having an adhesive surface and a filling opening via which a flowable adhesive agent is capable of being brought between the adhesive surface and the wall. Positioning elements by which the contact element is capable of being positioned at the wall are arranged at the adhesive surface. The positioning element has a width which is variable in dependence on a spacing from the outlet opening. The width reduces at least sectionally as the spacing from the outlet opening increases and is minimal at a maximum spacing from the outlet opening. Accordingly, the adhesive surface is capable of flowing around the positioning element on the introduction between the wall and the adhesive surface.

A composite stiffener is fabricated using preforms of laminated, unidirectional composite tape. The stiffener includes a void that is reinforced by a filler wrapped with a structural adhesive. The surfaces of the preforms surrounding the void include a layer of composite fabric which is bonded to the filler by the adhesive, thereby increasing the toughness of stiffeners around the void and improving pull-off strength of the stiffener.

Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. An absorbent article can include an absorbent body and an outer cover. The absorbent article can also include a fluid-entangled nonwoven material. The absorbent body can be disposed between the fluid-entangled nonwoven material and the outer cover. The fluid-entangled nonwoven can include a first surface and a second surface. The nonwoven material can also include a plurality of nodes extending away from abase plane on the first surface towards the absorbent body. The nonwoven material can further include a plurality of openings extending from the first surface to the second surface through the fluid-entangled nonwoven material. Individual openings of the plurality of openings can be disposed between adjacent nodes of the plurality of nodes.

An open-channel stiffener for stiffening a panel has a bonding flange for bonding the stiffener to the panel through a bondline formed between the bonding flange and the panel to form a stiffened panel. The open-channel stiffener has a cross-sectional shape that aligns, or substantially aligns, a shear center of the stiffener with a centroid of the stiffener and aligns the shear center proximate an edge of the bondline, and removes the need for a radius filler noodle. A plurality of perforations may be formed through the bonding flange to permit an adhesive to wick into the perforations and create a mechanical interlock between the bonding flange and the panel.

A panel having a pair of longitudinally extending side edges, spaced apart end edges located between said side edges, and first and second substantially planar side surfaces located between said side and end edges. Strengthening means is located along and extending away from the one side surface. Snap locking engagement means extends away from the one side surface and is located adjacent said end edges. The engagement means in use is operable to secure said panel to a structure.

A fashion system including a shaped garment comprising a base material and a removable drape is provided herein. The removable drape may be attached to the base material such that corresponding shapes of the base material and the removable drape cooperate to hold the removable drape in place. The base material may be formed using a geometric cutting technique and the removable drape may be formed using a thermoforming technique to create a complementary drape system.

Three dimensional nonwoven materials and methods of manufacturing such materials are disclosed. An absorbent article can include an absorbent body and an outer cover. The absorbent article can also include a fluid-entangled nonwoven material. The absorbent body can be disposed between the fluid-entangled nonwoven material and the outer cover. The fluid-entangled nonwoven can include a first surface and a second surface. The nonwoven material can also include a plurality of nodes extending away from a base plane on the first surface towards the absorbent body. The nonwoven material can further include a plurality of openings extending from the first surface to the second surface through the fluid-entangled nonwoven material. Individual openings of the plurality of openings can be disposed between adjacent nodes of the plurality of nodes.

The disclosure herein provides for disbond resistant stringer runouts. Various aspects may be used independently or in combination to mitigate disbonding associated with the stiffener runout under operational loads. Aspects include a stiffener runout having rounded base flange corners. A recessed notch may be incorporated within the base flange to provide a flange termination point that is forward of the web termination point, allowing the web to terminate prior to the base flange. The web may be trimmed from a full height to a reduced height at the web termination point. The base flange may be co-bonded to the underlying composite structure via a scarf joint. Perimeter clamp radius fillers may be used to concentrate a clamping force around the perimeter of the base flange.