In order to optimize a method for stiffening a metal component by pressing a fiber-reinforced plastic insert onto the metal component in such a way that the method can be integrated into the serial production of the car body, it is proposed that the fiber-reinforced plastic insert be picked up by means of a robot-controlled application head and pressed onto the metal component.

A joining method for joining together a first member in which fiber material is mixed into a first resin, and a second member that includes at least a second resin, includes abutting the first member and the second member together, and softening or melting the first resin of the first member and the second resin of the second member that are adjacent to abutting surfaces of the first member and the second member; and stirring a joint forming portion formed by the softened or melted first resin of the first member and the softened or melted second resin of the second member, and the fiber material included in the softened or melted first resin of the first member, in a direction inclined with respect to the abutting surfaces, and hardening the joint forming portion.

A joining method for joining together a first member in which fiber material is mixed into a first resin, and a second member that includes at least a second resin, includes abutting the first member and the second member together, and softening or melting the first resin of the first member and the second resin of the second member that are adjacent to abutting surfaces of the first member and the second member; and stirring a joint forming portion formed by the softened or melted first resin of the first member and the softened or melted second resin of the second member, and the fiber material included in the softened or melted first resin of the first member, in a direction inclined with respect to the abutting surfaces, and hardening the joint forming portion.

A pre-ceramic support structure for additive manufacturing, that upon thermal processing, is soluble in various solvents.

A pre-ceramic support structure for additive manufacturing, that upon thermal processing, is soluble in various solvents.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

In some examples, a method includes depositing a mixture including a resin and an additive powder via a print head of a three-dimensional printing system to form a carbon fiber preform including a plurality of individual carbon fiber layers, wherein each individual layer of the plurality of individual carbon fiber layers includes a plurality of carbon fibers and the mixture of the resin and the additive powder.

A feedstock material for use as a support material in an additive manufacturing system includes a pre-ceramic material in powder form. The preceramic material comprises calcium carbonate, sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate or combinations thereof. The feedstock material includes a thermoplastic binder having the pre-ceramic material dispersed therein, wherein the pre-ceramic material and the thermoplastic binder are in a filament form. The filament is configured to be melted and extruded to form a support structure for a ceramifable article in a layer by layer manner, wherein the pre-ceramic material is at least about 50% of the feedstock material.

Methods for manufacturing structures are provided. The methods include manufacturing a shell structure by additive manufacturing methods and sectioning panels with predetermined shapes from the shell structure. The panels are subsequently coupled to shell structure. Devices for performing various steps of the methods are also provided.