The manufacturing method object of the invention comprises the following stages: A) stacking strips of prepreg material on a laminating tool (14), so that an angled laminated part (2) is obtained comprising a central section (2a) contained in a first plane (12), at least one side section (2b) contained in a second plane (13), and at least one bending axis (5) between the central section (2a) and the at least one side section (2b), so that, the first plane and the second plane form an angle α; B) forming of the angled laminated part (2) comprising bending along the bending axis (5) the, at least, one side section with respect to the central section (2a), obtaining a formed part (6); C) curing, of the formed part (6).

A trim piece for sealing a work surface including a body having a first side, a second side, and a span disposed between the first side and the second side, wherein the first side and the second side are joined at a junction defining an angle between the first side and the second side of between 80 degrees and 100 degrees, a topcap is affixed to the span of the body, wherein the topcap includes a left side having a first wing and a right side having a second wing, an adhesive is bonded to the first side of the body and an aperture is disposed within the body.

A method and apparatus for compacting composite stringers. In one illustrative embodiment, an apparatus comprises a compacting structure, a compactor vacuum system, and a carrier vacuum system. The compacting structure has a shape configured to contact layers of uncured composite material for a composite stringer. The compactor vacuum system is associated with the compacting structure. The compactor vacuum system is configured to cause the compacting structure to apply a pressure to the layers of uncured composite material when a compactor vacuum is applied to the compactor vacuum system. The carrier vacuum system is associated with the compacting structure. The carrier vacuum system is configured to hold the layers of uncured composite material against the compacting structure when a carrier vacuum is applied to the carrier vacuum system.

In an artificial defect material 10 of an FRP structure, a heat-resistant high-linear-expansion material 20 arranged between the layers thermally expands in case of high-temperature shaping of the FRP structure, so that a predetermined shape is shaped between a plurality of layers of the fiber reinforcing base material 14 and the material 20 thermally shrinks at the room temperature after the shaping, so that a space is formed due to the shrinkage difference from the fiber reinforcing base materials 14. The material 20 has a linear expansion coefficient larger than that of the FRP structure by a predetermined value or more, and has the shape keeping property and the heat resistance to endure the shaping temperature.

A method of forming a laminate charge, and a forming tool and apparatus for forming a laminate charge is disclosed. In a forming step, a suction force is generated between a forming tool and an impermeable sheet which causes the impermeable sheet to press the laminate charge against a male corner of the forming tool and into a female corner of the forming tool. The male corner of the forming tool is positioned between first and second parts of the laminate charge, and the female corner of the forming tool is positioned between second and third parts of the laminate charge. During the forming step, gas is injected between the forming tool and part of the laminate charge to create a gas cushion between the forming tool and the third part of the laminate charge. This gas cushion inhibits the third part of the laminate charge from becoming clamped against the forming tool as the laminate charge is pressed into the female corner of the forming tool.

Systems and methods are provided for composite part fabrication. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part. The method includes selecting an end caul comprising a structure of sintered material surrounding volumes of unsintered particles, creating a laminate comprising fibers within a resin matrix, placing the end caul in contact with an end of the laminate, and processing the laminate.

A first laminated body is worked to form a second laminated body, the first laminated body being formed by laminating prepregs including reinforcing fibers and resin, the second laminated body including a flat portion and a wavy portion, the flat portion being located at at least one of side edge portions of the second laminated body, the wavy portion being located at a portion adjacent to the side edge portion and extending along a longitudinal direction. An intermediate product is formed from the second laminated body by a forming die such that the flat portion becomes a bent portion that is an inside portion whose circumferential length is shorter in a curved portion, and the wavy portion becomes a bent portion that is an outside portion whose circumferential length is longer in the curved portion.

A method for making a crush can for a vehicle which has an internal moulded structure can include providing a crush can with a hole, filling the hole in the crush can with a fibre-reinforced material and compression moulding the fibre-reinforced material using the internal shape of the crush can as an outer shell of a split mould.

Forming systems and methods for forming an elongate charge of composite material are disclosed herein. The forming systems include an elongate forming tool having an elongate forming surface with a forming surface shape that corresponds to a predetermined material shape for the elongate charge of composite material. The forming systems also include an elongate end effector, which is configured to tension the elongate charge of composite material across the forming surface. The elongate end effector includes an elongate vacuum distribution manifold, a porous elongate vacuum region, and an elongate friction surface. The methods include methods of tensioning an elongate charge of composite material across an elongate forming surface of an elongate forming tool utilizing an elongate end effector.

Methods for fabricating fiber-composite truss structures comprise a) individually molding multiple unit cells of a given size, and subsequently fusing them together in a repeating pattern, b) cross members are consolidated with longerons while maintaining continuity of fiber in the longerons, and c) compression-molded truss components are unioned to continuous fiber beams by means of mechanically interlocking joints.