A method for manufacturing an aeronautical sandwich panel with a honeycomb core and results in a core sealed to prevent infused resin from entering into the honeycomb core open cells while improving its mechanical properties, especially for curved or highly curved panels. In further embodiments, the invention proposes the automation of this process.

In a preferred embodiment, a composite panel with a smooth outer surface, ready for painting with or without addition of primer, may be created by constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including a composite panel having a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, where a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction; initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation; continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

A hierarchical sandwich core and a method of making it where a macroscopic honeycomb with a first macroscopic cell with first sandwich cell walls is connected to neighbouring macroscopic cells with neighbouring sandwich cell walls. The first and neighbouring sandwich cell walls are made of a sandwich material having a width, a mesoscopic core, and a first skin layer on a first major surface and a second skin layer on a second major surface of the sandwich material, both skin layers being attached to the mesoscopic core forming each sandwich cell wall of the macroscopic honeycomb. The first and the neighbouring cell walls have a height determined by the width of the sandwich material, both skin layers of the first sandwich cell wall being connected to both skin layers of at least one neighbouring cell wall along the height of the first cell wall.

A composite core assembly includes a composite core structure having internal material interfaces and an attachment rail coupled to the composite core structure. The attachment rail includes a first planar surface and a second planar surface adjoined with the first planar surface. The first planar surface is arranged parallel to an internal material interface plane of the composite core structure, and the first planar portion is at least partially integrated into the composite core structure in an internal material interface plane. At least a portion of the first planar surface extends beyond a perimeter surface of the composite core structure, and the second planar surface is configured to attach to the surrounding support member. The core material does not have net edge facets or flat edges positioned next to surrounding structure, and/or may not have a structure arranged parallel to the adjacent support structure to attach to the support structure.

In a method of making a gaseous emissions treatment component, a ‘green’ ceramic mix is extruded through a die to form an extrusion having cells extending along the extrusion, the cells being bounded by walls dividing adjacent cells from one another. In concert with the extruding, metal is fed through the die with the extruded mix. A length of the extrusion and associated metal is then cut off and fired to form the component.

A three-dimensional auxetic structure, comprising a plurality of adjoining hollow cells, each hollow cell having cell walls and a transversal cross section of the plurality hollow cells following a two-dimensional auxetic pattern, each cell wall comprising folding lines parallel to a plane containing the auxetic pattern such that peaks and valleys are defined in the cell walls and the cell walls being foldable along the folding lines.

A method of producing a core for a composite panel along a continuous production line is disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing a thermoplastic sheet of material onto the production line and vacuum forming the thermoplastic sheet of material into alternating pairs of matching shapes, providing the thermoplastic sheet of material with alternating pairs of matching shapes onto upper and lower conveyor belts that are operating at lower speeds than the production line causing the pairs of matching shapes to bunch up and form a honeycomb structure, and cutting the honeycomb structure into discrete sections with spaces therebetween. A plurality of reinforced plastic bands with gaps therebetween are provided and the honeycomb structure is aligned with the gaps. The plurality of reinforced plastic bands and the honeycomb structure are secured together.

In a preferred embodiment, a composite panel with a smooth outer surface, ready for painting with or without addition of primer, may be created by constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including a composite panel having a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, where a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction; initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation; continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

In a preferred embodiment, a composite panel with a smooth outer surface, ready for painting with or without addition of primer, may be created by constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including a composite panel having a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, where a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction; initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation; continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

A honeycomb sandwich structure in which moisture absorption deformation can be sufficiently suppressed and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The honeycomb sandwich structure includes: a honeycomb core having a recess in a mesh of a carbon fiber fabric; a pair of face plates; a resin layer which fills a part of the recesses; and a water-impermeable film which covers an exposed area including surfaces of the resin layer and the honeycomb core, wherein the recess includes an unfilled part, the unfilled part is a part of the recess that is closer to the opening of the recess, and the unfilled part is not filled with the resin layer.