A reinforcement pillar assembly and a method for manufacturing such assembly for a machine are disclosed. The reinforcement pillar assembly includes a cover panel formed of a polymer material. The cover panel includes an outer surface and an inner surface adapted to face in a direction towards a wall of the machine housing. Further, the reinforcement pillar assembly includes at least one support pillar formed of a metallic material. The at least one support pillar is adapted to be coupled to the cover panel. The at least one support pillar includes a first planar extension and a second planar extension. The first planar extension is adapted to be coupled to the inner surface of the cover panel. The second planar extension is adapted to abut the wall of the machine housing. A gap is defined between the inner surface of the cover panel and the wall of the machine housing.

A method for producing a three-dimensional preform from an intermediate preform blank (30, 70), which contain undulations (31) in a portion thereof. The preform blank (30, 79) may be formed on a tool surface (60) containing undulations (61) using an automated placement method such as Automated Tape Laying (ATL) or Automated Fiber Placement (AFP), in which narrow-width strips of material are dispensed side-by-side. Various preform blanks (30, 70) and molding tools (10, 50, 80) have been designed to produce shaped preforms having generally C-shape and Z-shape cross-sections.

The present invention relates to a method and to a mould system (70) for manufacturing a shear web for a wind turbine blade as well as to a backing plate (66) for such method and mould system. The method involves arranging one or more fibre layers on top of a web mould part (61), arranging backing plates (66) at each end to create a mould cavity between the first and second backing plate (66, 68) and the web mould part (61). Each backing plate (66, 68) comprises an inner moulding surface (80), outer surfaces (98, 100) and a channel (82) or groove (83) extending between at least one of the outer surfaces (98, 100) and the inner moulding surface (80). Resin is supplied to the mould cavity via each channel or groove of the first and second backing plate (66, 68), and subsequently the resin is cured or hardened to form the shear web.

A device and method for producing a component. The device is composed of two mold elements, wherein one of the mold elements has a cavity which communicates with the position of one side of a component to be produced. An inflatable tube which is fluidically linked to the surrounding atmosphere is provided in the cavity. A cover covers the first and the second mold element and seals the first and said second mold element in relation to the surrounding atmosphere. The tube is expanded by applying a vacuum within the sealed regions and the tube can shape or facilitate shaping the side of the component to be produced.

A tool for making contoured composite hat stringers allows control of stringer wrinkling. The tool includes a set of first openings that allow the tool to flex during contouring of the stringer, and a set of second openings into which portions of the composite charge may strain during the contouring.

A bladder mandrel package, used to manufacture a composite structure, includes a mandrel and a wrap ply, surrounding the mandrel to form a wrapped mandrel. The bladder mandrel package also includes a first radius filler, coupled to the wrap ply at a first radius of the wrapped mandrel, and a second radius filler coupled to the wrap ply at a second radius of the wrapped mandrel. The mandrel, the wrap ply, the first radius filler, and the second radius filler are consolidated to from the bladder mandrel package.

A system for preparing a bladder for use in manufacturing a composite stringer includes a sock application station, a film application station, and a composite ply application station. The sock application station has a sock cartridge configured to progressively apply a breather sock of breather material in tubular form onto a bladder as the bladder exits the sock cartridge to thereby result in a sock-bladder assembly. The film application station is located downstream of the sock application station and is configured to inflate a film from a flat shape into an open film tube prior to application over the sock-bladder assembly to thereby result in a film-sock-bladder assembly. The composite ply application station is located downstream of the film application station and has a wrap ply forming bed containing at least one forming bed opening and configured to receive one or more wrap plies of a wrap laminate for urging into the forming bed opening by the film-sock-bladder assembly to produce a ply-film-sock-bladder assembly.

A tubular material application system for applying a tubular material onto an elongate mandrel includes a gripper system including a first gripper and a second gripper configured to move with inchworm-type movement along an elongated mandrel and incrementally apply a tubular material onto the mandrel to thereby result in a tubular material-mandrel assembly.

A molding system and methods of forming a structure are presented. A molding system is configured to form a composite structure. The molding system comprises a first tool comprising a first vacuum groove, a first trough having a first edge configured to form a first bend of the composite structure, and a first molding surface; and a second tool comprising a second vacuum groove, a second trough having a second edge configured to form a second bend of the composite structure, and a second molding surface.

Described herein are stringer assemblies, such as blade stringers, and methods of forming thereof. A stringer assembly comprises a first fabric composite stiffener, a second fabric composite stiffener, and an intermediate tape composite stiffener, disposed between and connected to each of the first and second stiffeners. Using three separate components allows forming sharp bends, eliminating voids and gap fillers, and adding new features, such as edge reinforcements. Each of the first and second fabric composite stiffeners comprises a web portion, a flange portion, and a curved portion, positioned between the web and flange portions. The web portions surround and are attached to the intermediate tape composite stiffener and, in some examples, include tapered-out edges for additional rigidity. The flange portions are attached to the composite base. The curved portions conform to the flared-out edges of the intermediate tape composite stiffener, which extends and connects to the composite base.