A catheter has extruded length of tubing and an injection molded tip that facilitates insertion of the catheter into the body. The catheter is fabricated by the steps of providing the tubing, for example, by extruding the tubing from a thermoplastic resin cutting the tubing to the desired length, inserting a plug into the tubing, inserting one end of the tubing into an injection mold cavity, creating and forming a tip in an injection molding step, and demolding the tubing with the formed tip.

A catheter has extruded length of tubing and an injection molded tip that facilitates insertion of the catheter into the body. The catheter is fabricated by the steps of providing the tubing, for example, by extruding the tubing from a thermoplastic resin cutting the tubing to the desired length, inserting a plug into the tubing, inserting one end of the tubing into an injection mold cavity, creating and forming a tip in an injection molding step, and demolding the tubing with the formed tip.

A plural preform assembly having nested preforms. The preforms are held together by an interference fit. The interference fit is provided by the friction between the preforms which occurs when the inner preform is inserted into the outer preform. At least one preform may have ribs extending radially towards the other preform. The ribs provided concentricity and interference to hold the preforms together during subsequent operations. The preforms may later be blow molded to provide a bag in bottle or similar container.

A plural preform assembly having nested preforms. The preforms are held together by an interference fit. The interference fit is provided by the friction between the preforms which occurs when the inner preform is inserted into the outer preform. At least one preform may have ribs extending radially towards the other preform. The ribs provided concentricity and interference to hold the preforms together during subsequent operations. The preforms may later be blow molded to provide a bag in bottle or similar container.

Provided are a method for producing an FRP precursor and a device for producing an FRP precursor, wherein the method and the device have a good productivity, and under a normal pressure, enable filling of a resin into a bulk gap of an aggregate as well as prevent the resin from spouting out from an edge portion thereof. The method for producing the FRP precursor is to produce the FRP precursor by melt-adhering each of a pair of thermosetting resin films 54 to each of both surfaces 40a and 40b of an aggregate 40 that is in a form of a sheet, the method comprising: an aggregate's surface heating process to heat aggregate's both surfaces, i.e., the both aggregate's surfaces 40a and 40b of the aggregate 40, and a film press-adhering process to obtain the FRP precursor wherein under a normal pressure, one aggregate-side film surface 54a of the pair of the films 54 is press-adhered to one surface of the heated both aggregate's surfaces, and another aggregate-side film surface 54a of the pair of the films 54 is press-adhered to another surface of the heated both aggregate's surfaces.

Provided are a method for producing an FRP precursor and a device for producing an FRP precursor, wherein the method and the device have a good productivity, and under a normal pressure, enable filling of a resin into a bulk gap of an aggregate as well as prevent the resin from spouting out from an edge portion thereof. The method for producing the FRP precursor is to produce the FRP precursor by melt-adhering each of a pair of thermosetting resin films 54 to each of both surfaces 40a and 40b of an aggregate 40 that is in a form of a sheet, the method comprising: an aggregate's surface heating process to heat aggregate's both surfaces, i.e., the both aggregate's surfaces 40a and 40b of the aggregate 40, and a film press-adhering process to obtain the FRP precursor wherein under a normal pressure, one aggregate-side film surface 54a of the pair of the films 54 is press-adhered to one surface of the heated both aggregate's surfaces, and another aggregate-side film surface 54a of the pair of the films 54 is press-adhered to another surface of the heated both aggregate's surfaces.

A form for a vehicle component includes a commingled fiber bundle composed of thermoplastic fibers and a reinforcement fiber. The reinforcement fiber being glass fibers, aramid fibers, carbon fibers, or a combination thereof. The commingled fiber bundle is laid out in a two-dimensional base layer that defines a shape of the form. An optical fiber is stitched to the commingled fiber bundle. A method of forming a unitary reinforced composite component having a sensor system includes the form being placed onto a mold platen. The preform is heated to promote fusion of the thermoplastic fibers therein. The preform is cooled until solidified with contours of the component. The vehicle component is then removed from the mold platen.

A form for a vehicle component includes a commingled fiber bundle composed of thermoplastic fibers and a reinforcement fiber. The reinforcement fiber being glass fibers, aramid fibers, carbon fibers, or a combination thereof. The commingled fiber bundle is laid out in a two-dimensional base layer that defines a shape of the form. An optical fiber is stitched to the commingled fiber bundle. A method of forming a unitary reinforced composite component having a sensor system includes the form being placed onto a mold platen. The preform is heated to promote fusion of the thermoplastic fibers therein. The preform is cooled until solidified with contours of the component. The vehicle component is then removed from the mold platen.

Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as bending regions, where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).

Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as bending regions, where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).