Apparatus and methods for sealing powder holes in additively manufactured parts are presented herein. Powder holes are co-printed to facilitate post processing sealing. Embodiments include co-printed caps, friction welded caps, rivets, silicone plugs, co-printed tangs, multiple micro holes, layup, and spin forming. By using one or more of the above techniques, powder holes can be sealed on additively manufactured parts.

Described are a core member having improved mechanical properties as well as a method for the production thereof and a core member produced according to said method.

A honeycomb structure has partition walls defining a plurality of hexagonal cells the partition walls are constituted by combining standard partition walls having a partition wall thickness in a range smaller than 10% to an average partition wall thickness of the partition walls, wide partition walls having a partition wall thickness of +10% or more to the average partition wall thickness, and narrow partition walls having a partition wall thickness of 10% or less to the average partition wall thickness, and a non-standard partition wall ratio is in a range of 10% to 30% which is a ratio occupied by a subtotal number of non-standard partition walls obtained by adding the wide partition walls and the narrow partition walls in a total number of the partition walls which is obtained by adding the numbers of the standard partition walls, the wide partition walls and the narrow partition walls.

A processing apparatus equipped with a catalyst-supporting honeycomb structure, which is characterized in that corrugated plate-like glass fiber papers having a functional catalyst supported thereon and flat plate-like glass fiber papers having the same functional catalyst supported thereon are alternately laminated without being bonded to each other, to form a catalyst-supporting honeycomb structure, and this catalyst-supporting honeycomb structure is packed in a casing.

Systems and methods are provided for acoustic paneling. One embodiment is a method for fabricating an acoustic panel. The method includes receiving a sheet of thermoplastic paper, stamping/conforming the sheet into rows that each comprise a three dimensional shape, and transforming the sheet into a multi-celled core. Transforming the sheet includes identifying fold lines separating the rows, folding the sheet at the fold lines in a pleat fold, thereby uniting upper surfaces of adjacent rows and uniting lower surfaces of adjacent rows; and compressing the rows of the folded sheet together in the presence of heat, causing adjacent rows to fuse together into cells. The method further includes applying a backing sheet to the core, and applying a facesheet to a surface of the core that includes openings which direct a portion of airflow across the facesheet into the cells, resulting in acoustic control.

A component, including a part, comprising a honeycomb-like structure formed from at least a seamless resin-infused fiber composite material. The honeycomb-like structure includes a first plurality of cells, and a second plurality of cells, different than the first plurality of cells.

A cellular confinement system includes PET sheets and honeycomb-shaped cells formed by intercrossing the PET sheets. A connecting hole is provided at a joint where the PET sheets are intercrossed. An injection molded fixing component for connecting the PET sheets is provided at the connecting hole. The injection molded fixing component includes an injection molded rod arranged in the connecting hole and fixing plates each arranged to be fixedly connected to a corresponding end of two ends of the injection molded rod. The fixing plates each fits against a side wall of a corresponding PET sheet. The injection molded fixing component includes the injection molded rod and the fixing piece. The injection molded rod is configured to connect the PET sheets at the joint where the PET sheets are intercrossed. The fixing plate is configured to prevent the PET sheets from being disengaged from the injection molded rod.

Presented are fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich structures, methods for making/using such FRP sandwich structures, and motor vehicles with a vehicle component fabricated from a compression molded thermoset or thermoplastic FRP sandwich structure. A multidimensional composite sandwich structure includes first and second (skin) layers formed from a thermoset of thermoplastic polymer matrix, such as resin or nylon, filled with a fiber reinforcing material, such as chopped carbon fibers. A third (core) layer, which is encased between the first and second skin layers, is formed from a thermoset/thermoplastic polymer matrix filled with a fiber reinforcing material and a filler material, such as hollow glass microspheres. The first, second and third layers have respective rheological flow properties that are substantially similar such that all three layers flow in unison at a predetermined compression molding pressure. These layers may be formed from the same thermoset/thermoplastic polymer material, and include the same fiber reinforcing material.

Presented are fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) sandwich structures, methods for making/using such FRP sandwich structures, and motor vehicles with a vehicle component fabricated from a compression molded thermoset or thermoplastic FRP sandwich structure. A multidimensional composite sandwich structure includes first and second (skin) layers formed from a thermoset of thermoplastic polymer matrix, such as resin or nylon, filled with a fiber reinforcing material, such as chopped carbon fibers. A third (core) layer, which is encased between the first and second skin layers, is formed from a thermoset/thermoplastic polymer matrix filled with a fiber reinforcing material and a filler material, such as hollow glass microspheres. The first, second and third layers have respective rheological flow properties that are substantially similar such that all three layers flow in unison at a predetermined compression molding pressure. These layers may be formed from the same thermoset/thermoplastic polymer material, and include the same fiber reinforcing material.

A compression molding assembly for molding a honeycomb core, including a plurality of cells defined by a plurality of walls, of a blocker door is provided. The compression molding assembly includes a ram plate comprising a plurality of openings defined therethrough and a plurality of core inserts coupled to the ram plate such that the plurality of core inserts are configured to form the honeycomb core of the blocker door. Each core insert is removably coupled with a respective opening of the plurality of openings such that each core insert is configured to form a respective cell of the plurality of cells.