B29C2793/0081

Automated composite fabrication systems and methods

A system and a method for manufacturing laminated composite components is described. The system may include a cutting station configured to separate component layers from a ply of composition material according to a predefined pattern, a build station configured to stack the component layers according to a predetermined orientation, and a finishing station configured to compact the stacked component layers and provide the laminated composite component to an installation station.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING ARTICLES COMPRISING A CARBON NANOTUBE MATERIAL
20230064037 · 2023-03-02 ·

Systems and methods for making an antenna reflector. The methods comprise: obtaining a Carbon Nano-Tube (“CNT”) material; cutting the CNT material into a plurality of wedge shaped pieces; and bonding together the wedge shaped pieces using a resin film adhesive to form the antenna reflector with a three dimensional contoured surface.

PRODUCTION METHOD FOR LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT POLYMER, AND PRODUCTION DEVICE AND PRODUCTION METHOD FOR MELT-BLOWN NON-WOVEN FABRIC

A production method for a low molecular weight polymer suitable for a melt-blown non-woven fabric and a production device for melt-blown non-woven fabric, with which a high molecular weight polymer can be reduced in molecular weight by applying a shear force to the high molecular weight polymer without adding an additive. The low molecular weight polymer and the melt-blown non-woven fabric are produced using a continuous high shearing device that applies a shear force to the high molecular weight polymer serving as a raw material by rotation of a screw body to reduce the molecular weight of the high molecular weight polymer so as to obtain a low molecular weight polymer, and cools the low molecular weight polymer by passing the low molecular weight polymer through a passage arranged in the axial direction inside the screw body.

Pre-consolidated charges of chopped fiber for composite part fabrication

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising: reducing a bulk factor of chips of chopped fiber while forming the chips into a pre-consolidated charge; shaping portions of the pre-consolidated charge into shaped volumetric charges that fit within a die; and compression molding the shaped volumetric charges within the die.

Contoured composite stringers

Aircraft that incorporates a rounded-hat composite stringer connected to an inner side of the skin of the aircraft to form an elongate conduit that defines a conduit axis, where the conduit axis includes at least one curving portion. The rounded-hat composite stringer can be manufactured by constructing a lower forming die and an upper forming die, each forming die having a length and defining a curve along at least a portion of the length of the die, cutting a pre-cured flat composite charge dimensioned to form the rounded-hat composite stringer, pressing the flat composite charge between the lower and upper forming dies to shape the composite charge into a pre-formed stringer having an inner side between curved fillet portions, contacting a forming member against the inner side of the pre-formed stringer, applying radius fillers to the curved fillet portions of the pre-formed stringer, curing the pre-formed stringer, and removing the forming member from the cured stringer.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING COMPOSITE COMPONENTS HAVING AN UNDEVELOPABLE SURFACE
20220332063 · 2022-10-20 ·

Method for producing composite components having an undevelopable surface. To be able to maintain the tolerances when manufacturing especially large components in the case of composite components with undevelopable surfaces, it is proposed according to the invention to drape a cut-to-size blank on a molding tool and to determine the deviation of the cut-to-size blank edge from the setpoint cut-to-size edge. Then, on the basis of the deviation, a new cut-to-size blank edge is calculated, and a new cut-to-size blank is created and re-draped for examination purposes. The method is repeated until the deviations are below a tolerable threshold value. The method is furthermore carried out for each textile ply of the composite component.

Automated fiber placement (AFP) cutter blade assemblies, AFP cutter systems including the same, and associated methods

Automated fiber placement (AFP) cutter blade assemblies, AFP cutter systems including the same, and associated methods. An AFP cutter blade assembly includes a blade base and a reversible blade insert configured to be coupled to the blade base in either of a first cutter blade configuration, in which a first cutting edge is an active cutting edge, and a second cutter blade configuration, in which a second cutting edge is the active cutting edge. In examples, an AFP cutter system includes a plurality of AFP cutter blade assemblies in combination with an actuator assembly. In examples, a method of reconfiguring a reversible blade insert of an AFP cutter blade assembly includes uncoupling the reversible blade insert from a blade base, rotating the reversible blade insert relative to the blade base, and operatively coupling the reversible blade insert to the blade base in a different configuration.

ELECTROMAGNETIC SHIELDED BATTERY TRAY WITH METAL COATED FIBER STITCHED WALLS AND CORRESPONDING MANUFACTURING PROCESSES

A battery tray is provided and includes a first component and a second component. The first component includes a first set of walls, where the first set of walls includes a first stitched fabric, and where the first stitched fabric includes first metal coated fibers. The second component includes a second set of walls, where: the second set of walls includes a second stitched fabric; the second stitched fabric includes second metal coated fibers; and the second component is attached to the first component to form the battery tray, which is configured to hold a battery pack of a vehicle. The first metal coated fibers and the second metal coated fibers provide an electromagnetic shield surrounding the battery pack.

INCISED PREPREG AND FIBER-REINFORCED PLASTIC

An object is to provide an incised prepreg having desired formability stably, wherein the incised prepreg contains unidirectionally oriented reinforcing fibers and matrix resin and has an incised region containing a plurality of incisions made to divide reinforcing fibers, wherein the incised region includes a plurality of incision rows, each containing a plurality of incisions having nearly equal fiber-directionally projected lengths and aligned at substantially constant intervals in the fiber direction and wherein the distance L1, measured at right angles to the fiber direction, between two incision rows located on either side of an arbitrarily selected incision row and the fiber-directionally projected length L2 of the latter incision row satisfy the following relation: −1.0<L1/L2<0.5.

METHOD FOR PRODUCING A CONTAINER PRODUCT AND DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

Disclosed is a method for producing at least one molded, filled and sealed container product (10) comprising at least the method steps listed below: extruding a hose (32) by means of an extrusion device (12) using supporting gas in vertical extrusion direction in a preforming position; sealing the hose (32) at its lower end and cutting it at its upper open end; transporting of the parison (22) thus cut to length by means of a gripper device (20) in linear transport direction transverse to the extrusion direction from the preforming position into an opened molding tool (18); transferring the parison (22) into the opened molding tool (18) by means of the gripper device (20) in a main forming position; sealing the molding tool (18) for further forming of the parison (22) by a pressure gradient; filling and sealing the parison (22); and returning the gripper device (20) to the preforming position for a repeated sequence of the above method steps