A blow molded multilayer article with a hollow body defined by a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The outer surface has an axial color gradient. The wall has multiple layers and at least one layer optionally contains an effect pigment and/or an opacifying pigment.

A pultruded strip (50) of reinforcing material for stacking with one or more similar strips (50) to form a spar cap for a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The pultruded strip comprises a core (56) comprising fibres (58) disposed in a resin matrix (60) and a sacrificial layer (52) at least partially covering one or more surfaces of the core (56). The sacrificial layer (52) is a resin layer defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip. A pultrusion process for making such a strip (50) comprises drawing resin-coated reinforcing fibres (58) through a pultrusion die (80) in a process direction to form a core (56) of the strip (50) and applying further resin (53) to one or more surfaces of the core (56) to form a sacrificial resin layer (52) defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip (50).

A pultruded strip (50) of reinforcing material for stacking with one or more similar strips (50) to form a spar cap for a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The pultruded strip comprises a core (56) comprising fibres (58) disposed in a resin matrix (60) and a sacrificial layer (52) at least partially covering one or more surfaces of the core (56). The sacrificial layer (52) is a resin layer defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip. A pultrusion process for making such a strip (50) comprises drawing resin-coated reinforcing fibres (58) through a pultrusion die (80) in a process direction to form a core (56) of the strip (50) and applying further resin (53) to one or more surfaces of the core (56) to form a sacrificial resin layer (52) defining an adherend surface (62A) of the strip (50).

A molded pool step, a method of fabricating the pool step and a method of matching a decorative pattern on the pool step to the decorative pattern on a pool liner is disclosed. The pool step is fabricated by applying a decorative pattern to one surface of a transparent sheet of moldable material; positioning the sheet of material on a pool step mold such that the sheet contacts a molding surface of the pool step mold; molding the sheet of material on the pool step mold such that the decorative pattern is located a distance inwardly from an outer surface of the pool step and is thereby prevented being contacted by pool water or people using the pool. When the pool step is molded and installed the decorative pattern on the three-dimension pool step is substantially continuous with the decorative pattern on the liner adjacent the pool step.

A molded pool step, a method of fabricating the pool step and a method of matching a decorative pattern on the pool step to the decorative pattern on a pool liner is disclosed. The pool step is fabricated by applying a decorative pattern to one surface of a transparent sheet of moldable material; positioning the sheet of material on a pool step mold such that the sheet contacts a molding surface of the pool step mold; molding the sheet of material on the pool step mold such that the decorative pattern is located a distance inwardly from an outer surface of the pool step and is thereby prevented being contacted by pool water or people using the pool. When the pool step is molded and installed the decorative pattern on the three-dimension pool step is substantially continuous with the decorative pattern on the liner adjacent the pool step.

The present invention relates to a novel fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material and a method and apparatus for producing thereof. The fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material is advantageously used in many fields of applications such as aircraft, aerospace plane, automobile, vessel, construction and civil engineering materials, electronic device, furniture pieces or leisure parts and sporting goods or parts of it.

The present invention relates to a novel fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite material and a method and apparatus for producing thereof. The fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite material is advantageously used in many fields of applications such as aircraft, aerospace plane, automobile, vessel, construction and civil engineering materials, electronic device, furniture pieces or leisure parts and sporting goods or parts of it.

A method for producing a structural component having a foam structure formed by foaming a foamable material, includes the following steps: additively building a receiving component that reproduces the outer geometry of the structural component to be produced at least in some sections, in particular completely, and having a receiving space for receiving foamable material; introducing at least one foamable material into the receiving space of the receiving component; and carrying out at least one measure for foaming the foamable material introduced into the receiving space of the receiving component so as to form the foam structure.

A method for producing a structural component having a foam structure formed by foaming a foamable material, includes the following steps: additively building a receiving component that reproduces the outer geometry of the structural component to be produced at least in some sections, in particular completely, and having a receiving space for receiving foamable material; introducing at least one foamable material into the receiving space of the receiving component; and carrying out at least one measure for foaming the foamable material introduced into the receiving space of the receiving component so as to form the foam structure.

An apparatus and method for laminating fibers for direct manufacturing of a preform, in which rows of fibers are drawn at the same time and are arranged in the form of a preform.

The apparatus for laminating fibers for direct manufacturing of a preform according to an aspect of the present invention is an apparatus which supplies reinforced fibers to a table 22 and laminating the reinforced fibers thereon, so as to manufacture a fiber preform by laminating the reinforced fibers on the table 22, the apparatus including: a reinforced fiber supply robot 30 configured to supply a predetermined length of a plurality of reinforced fibers, on which a thermoplastic resin is coated; at least one or more edge fixing robots 40 configured to press and fix an end of the reinforced fibers drawn from the reinforced fiber supply robot 30 to the table 22 while the reinforced fibers are adhered as the thermoplastic resin is melted.

Particularly, the reinforced fiber supply robot 30 includes: a plurality of reels 33, around which the reinforced fibers F coated with the thermoplastic resin are wound; a plurality of supply rollers 34 configured to transfer the reinforced fibers F, drawn from the plurality of reels, to the table 22 to supply the reinforced fibers thereto; a cutter configured to cut the reinforced fibers F, supplied through the plurality of supply rollers 34, into a predetermined length; and a compression roller 37 configured to press the end of the reinforced fibers F, cut by the cutter, to the table 22.