A structural shell for a wind turbine blade is formed from one or more elongate reinforcing members, each in the form of a stack (3) of pultruded fibrous composite strips positioned between two layers of structural foam (4). The foam layers (4) have a thickness which is greater than that of the stack (3). The edges of the foam layers (4) are formed with a void (11). With the stack (3) and foam layers (4) positioned in a mould, a strip of pre-cured glass fibre (5) is placed on the stack (3) and the edges of the foam layers (4). A vacuum is applied to the stack (3) and the foam layers (4), causing the glass fibre strip (5) to press on the stack (3) and foam layers (4) and to conform to the underlying surfaces. As a result, the void (11) is reduced in size and the step-shaped transition between the surfaces of the stack (2) and the foam layers (4) transformed into a smooth transition, so as to reduce the stresses within the glass fibre strip (5) in the region of the abutment of the stack (3) and the foam layers (4). In other embodiments, the stepped transition is smoothened by replacing the upper-edge region of each foam layer (4) with a strip of low-stiffness foam.

A structural shell for a wind turbine blade is formed from one or more elongate reinforcing members, each in the form of a stack (3) of pultruded fibrous composite strips positioned between two layers of structural foam (4). The foam layers (4) have a thickness which is greater than that of the stack (3). The edges of the foam layers (4) are formed with a void (11). With the stack (3) and foam layers (4) positioned in a mould, a strip of pre-cured glass fibre (5) is placed on the stack (3) and the edges of the foam layers (4). A vacuum is applied to the stack (3) and the foam layers (4), causing the glass fibre strip (5) to press on the stack (3) and foam layers (4) and to conform to the underlying surfaces. As a result, the void (11) is reduced in size and the step-shaped transition between the surfaces of the stack (2) and the foam layers (4) transformed into a smooth transition, so as to reduce the stresses within the glass fibre strip (5) in the region of the abutment of the stack (3) and the foam layers (4). In other embodiments, the stepped transition is smoothened by replacing the upper-edge region of each foam layer (4) with a strip of low-stiffness foam.

A sandwich panel joint assembly for a nacelle of a wind turbine and method of manufacturing same is disclosed. The method includes forming at least one groove into a core structure. A next step includes inserting at least one fastener element within the groove such that the fastener element is recessed within the core structure. The method also includes placing the core structure containing the fastener element into a mold. A next step includes inserting a resin material into the mold to at least partially surround the core structure, wherein a portion of the fastener element becomes embedded within the resin material. The resin material is then allowed to cure so as to form a plurality of panel members that surround the core structure. As such, the fastener element is recessed within the core structure and molded into one of the cured panel members.

A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle may include a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, which steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column directly or indirectly to a body of the motor vehicle. At least one of the components of the steering-column, such as the console, for example, may include a fiber composite component that can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core, introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold to be used with the wound fibers, curing the wound fibers, and removing the winding spool and the winding core so as to release the fiber composite component. The fiber composite component may then be fitted into the steering column assembly.

A steering-column assembly for a motor vehicle may include a steering spindle rotatably mounted in a steering-column tube, which steering-column tube is mounted in a console that connects the steering-column directly or indirectly to a body of the motor vehicle. At least one of the components of the steering-column, such as the console, for example, may include a fiber composite component that can be formed by winding fibers along tracks of a winding spool of a winding core, introducing a curable resin into the fibers or a mold to be used with the wound fibers, curing the wound fibers, and removing the winding spool and the winding core so as to release the fiber composite component. The fiber composite component may then be fitted into the steering column assembly.

A method for forming an elevated surface feature for compression molded assemblies includes the placement of an afore-mentioned insert onto an actuated fixture pin with the pin initially in a retracted position. An upper portion of a mold configured with said retracted actuated fixture pin over a preform of pre-preg plies placed on the bottom portion of the mold is then closed. The fixture pin is actuated towards the pre-preg plies when a flowable material fills a molding cavity in the upper portion of the mold. The cavity is configured to form the elevated surface feature with the advancing action of the insert packs out the surface feature under the pressure of the pin to eliminate porosity in the elevated surface feature in the molding cavity.

A 3D printing method and apparatus using the same are provided. The printing method includes: generating a two-dimensional layer information related with multiple layer objects of a three-dimensional object according to a three-dimensional model information, whereas the three-dimensional object has a forming part and an object embedded part; analyzing the two-dimensional layer information to identify a forming region and an object embedded region within each of the layer objects, whereas the forming regions constitute the forming part and the object embedded regions constitute the object embedded part; selecting at least one section of the three-dimensional object as a separation plane; printing the layer objects, layer by layer, with a forming material and a supporting material, to coat the forming material onto the forming region without overlapping with the separation plane, and coat the supporting material onto the forming region overlapping with the separation plane and the object embedded region.

The present disclosure provides an interior panel and a manufacturing method therefor. And the manufacturing method includes: a panel base part of the interior panel being heated to a first temperature, and the panel base part is made of composite material, and matrix of the composite material is a first material, reinforcement of the composite material is a second material, and the first temperature is at least a softening point of the first material; the heated panel base part and a panel surface part being stacked on a first mold for press-molding; and, the panel surface part includes a surface side section and a back side section, and the surface side section provides a surface of the interior panel, and the back side section is set to be on back side of the surface side section, and the back side section has a first material component made of first material.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.