A method is provided for preparing a composite product, the method comprising: forming a core structure having a plurality of layers, each layer being build by an additive manufacturing process; wherein the core structure has a shell substantially enclosing an internal chamber of the core structure, wherein the shell is fluid-impermeable, and wherein the outer surface of the shell has a predefined shape; introducing a fluid into the chamber of the core structure; arranging the core structure and reinforcement fibers in a mould, wherein the mould is arranged to accommodate the core structure including the reinforcement fibers, and wherein the reinforcement fibers and the outer surface of the shell are arranged in contact with each other; providing the reinforcement fibers and a resin on the outer surface of the shell of the core structure; and solidifying the resin to form the composite product inside the mould at a moulding pressure P.sub.m, while controlling the fluid pressure P.sub.F of the fluid in the core structure.

A desired shape can be easily realized, and a decrease in strength can be inhibited. A method for producing a composite material includes: an insertion step of inserting an inner member in which a second reinforcing fiber is impregnated with a resin into a space of an outer member that is formed of a woven first reinforcing fiber extending in an undulating manner, the outer member including an opening that is provided at at least one end portion and the space that communicates with the opening; and a composite material forming step of forming a composite material in which the outer member and the inner member are joined to each other by curing the resin of the inner member to join the outer member and the inner member to each other.

A device for making a molded stair tread is described. The device can have: a base; a pivoting assembly; a molding template connected to the pivoting assembly; a holding device connected to the molding template, the holding device having a clamp jaw and a pivot configured to rotate the holding device relative to the molding template; and a locking mechanism configured to hold the molding template and the holding device in an open configuration such that the holding device can accept a first part of the plastic sheet and configured to release the molding template and the holding device such that the holding device is in a securing configuration that secures, via the clamp jaw, the first part of the plastic sheet to the first side of the molding template at the first longitudinal edge of the molding template. Methods for making the stair tread are described as well as the molded stair tread.

A method of the invention produces a composite material conjugate in which a first composite material and a second composite material are adhered without using an adhesive, wherein a first prepreg laminate to which a release member is attached is cured to form the first composite material, the release member being made of a material that does not transfer silicone and fluorine to the first prepreg laminate, after detaching the release member from the first composite material, surface treatment that imparts polar functional groups to the surface of the first composite material to which the release member was bonded is carried out to activate the surface, a second prepreg laminate is placed directly on the activated surface of the first composite material, and the second prepreg laminate is cured to form a second composite material adhered to the first composite material.

A method of forming a wind turbine blade is provided which includes upper and lower blade mold halves, and a shear web having at least one aperture formed therein. A plurality of bulkheads are attached to the shear web and the shear web can be lifted and rotated, without need for a complex gantry/galactica apparatus, to be placed inside the lower blade mold. The upper mold half can then be closed with the shear web and bulkhead(s) disposed within the blade interior. A heating fluid can be pumped into the interior to pass through the bulkheads, circulating around the shear web and exiting the blade root with the assistance of a sump to pull the cold air outside the blade.

Provided is a position detecting method for detecting a winding position of a reinforced fiber impregnated with resin when a plurality of hoop layers is formed in a cylindrical portion of a liner. The position detecting method includes: an imaging step of taking, by an imaging portion, a captured image of the reinforced fiber just after the reinforced fiber is wound around a hoop layer illuminated with oblique light by a lighting assembly, the imaging portion having an optical axis set at the same angle as an optical axis of the lighting assembly around a central axis of the liner; and a detecting step of detecting the winding position of the reinforced fiber based on the number of high intensity pixels or the number of low intensity pixels in each pixel column arranged in an axial direction of the liner in the binarized captured image.

An automatic circumferential insertion apparatus and method for a complex rotary preform. The apparatus includes a double-hinge yarn carrier and a U-shaped bracket. Two ends of the double-hinge yarn carrier are respectively provided with a cylindrical hinge structure. One cylindrical hinge structure is in revolute pair connection with an outer clamping buckle at one end of the U-shaped bracket, and the other cylindrical hinge structure is in revolute pair connection with an inner clamping buckle at the other end of the U-shaped bracket. Two sides of the U-shaped bracket are provided with an electromagnet, respectively. The outer clamping buckle is provided with a pin, which is controlled by trigging, and is triggered simultaneously with the electromagnet at the side where the outer clamping buckle is arranged.

Proposed is a hydraulic cylinder rod in which a rod eye is robustly coupled to a hybrid round rod for weight reduction. To this end, the hydraulic cylinder rod is configured with a hybrid round rod including a metal tube and a composite material round rod provided for weight reduction inside the metal tube, wherein a side of the metal tube is formed to be relatively longer than the length of the composite material round rod to thereby provide a space defined by a length difference therebetween; and a rod eye is coupled to the space.

An insert undercut is disclosed. The insert is metallic and has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), the insert comprising an outer wall of a first retaining feature; and an undercut shape formed exterior to the outer wall of the first retaining feature such that there is a groove between the outer wall of the first retaining feature and the undercut shape. A composite component having a second CTE different from the first CTE, wherein the insert including the groove is at least partially within the composite component when the composite component is being formed, such that the difference in the first CTE and the second CTE causes the groove between the outer wall of the first retaining feature and the undercut shape of the insert to contract about the composite component to provide a compression to a portion of the composite component within the groove.

A method of forming a sandwich structure including at least partially filling an open volume of an open cellular core with a sacrificial mold material, consolidating the sacrificial mold material to form a sacrificial mold, laying up a composite facesheet on each of at least two surfaces of the open cellular core, co-curing the composite facesheets by applying a consolidation temperature and a compaction pressure to the composite facesheets to form the sandwich structure, and removing the sacrificial mold. The compaction pressure is greater than a compressive strength of the open cellular core and less than a combined compressive strength of the open cellular core and the sacrificial mold.