To provide a method of manufacturing a press molding by molding a molding material comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin by a cold press method. The method of manufacturing a press molding comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin, includes the steps of: holding the molding material heated at a temperature not lower than the softening temperature with a plurality of grippers installed on a carrier; carrying the molding material between the upper mold and the lower mold of a mold for molding; pushing the molding material with pushers to preform it at a predetermined preforming rate; and press molding the preformed molding by closing the upper mold and the lower mold and applying pressure.

To provide a method of manufacturing a press molding by molding a molding material comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin by a cold press method. The method of manufacturing a press molding comprising reinforced fibers and a thermoplastic resin, includes the steps of: holding the molding material heated at a temperature not lower than the softening temperature with a plurality of grippers installed on a carrier; carrying the molding material between the upper mold and the lower mold of a mold for molding; pushing the molding material with pushers to preform it at a predetermined preforming rate; and press molding the preformed molding by closing the upper mold and the lower mold and applying pressure.

Laying die includes an attaching element having an inlet port for receiving positively pressurized gas; and a carrier body made from an elastically deformable material and attached on a lower side of the attaching element. The carrier body includes passages enabling a gas flow between the attaching element and the lower side of the carrier body opposed to the attaching element. The attaching element houses a flow path arranged to receive pressurized gas from the inlet port and a longitudinal pathway extending from the lower side of the attaching element towards an upper side of the attaching element. The flow path discharges into the longitudinal pathway at a junction section, which is arranged such that pressurized gas discharging into the longitudinal pathway creates a negative pressure and comprises a curved deflection surface curved towards the upper side of the attaching element.

Laying die includes an attaching element having an inlet port for receiving positively pressurized gas; and a carrier body made from an elastically deformable material and attached on a lower side of the attaching element. The carrier body includes passages enabling a gas flow between the attaching element and the lower side of the carrier body opposed to the attaching element. The attaching element houses a flow path arranged to receive pressurized gas from the inlet port and a longitudinal pathway extending from the lower side of the attaching element towards an upper side of the attaching element. The flow path discharges into the longitudinal pathway at a junction section, which is arranged such that pressurized gas discharging into the longitudinal pathway creates a negative pressure and comprises a curved deflection surface curved towards the upper side of the attaching element.

A preform-charge fixture creates a preform charge, which is a partially consolidated assemblage of preforms that can be efficiently transferred to a mold to create a finished part in a molding process, such as compression molding. In the illustrative embodiment, the preform-charge fixture includes peripheral cleats that are movable towards a central cleat to create a small gap therebetween that receives and constrains preforms in a desired position. The fixture also includes clamps, which are operable to engage an uppermost layer of preforms in the gap and apply a slight amount of downward pressure thereto to assure that the preforms are properly seated. The fixture also accommodates an energy source that heats the preforms so that, in conjunction with downforce applied by the clamps and/or gravity, the preforms can be tacked together, forming the preform charge.

In a cost-effective and qualitatively better method for producing spacers for a winding unit of an electrical high-voltage device, at least two starting components are mixed together in a mixing chamber under vacuum to form a component mixture. The component mixture is transferred to an extrusion housing, likewise under vacuum, of an extruder in which a transport device is arranged and which is equipped with a mouthpiece delimiting an outlet opening. The extrudate exiting from the mouthpiece is cured by the addition of heat in a vacuum in order to obtain the spacers.

A method for use in ply compaction in forming a composite structure. The method includes positioning a ply of material on a forming tool having a web surface and at least one flange surface extending from the web surface, positioning a flange forming device at the ply of material on the forming tool, the flange forming device including an inflatable contact element pressurized to define a deformable contact surface, applying, by the deformable contact surface, the ply of material onto the forming tool with a predetermined pressure, wherein the deformable contact surface is moved across the forming tool, and wherein the inflatable contact element is configured to maintain the predetermined pressure as the deformable contact surface transitions from the web surface to the at least one flange surface.

Methods of assembling stiffened composite structures are disclosed. Some methods include forming a stiffener assembly by compacting it within a trough formed in a trunnion. A single trunnion may accommodate two or more different types of stiffeners, thereby avoiding the need for multiple sets of tooling. In some methods, a plurality of stiffener segments may be spliced together, thereby avoiding the need to transport and handle an entire stiffener. A vacuum chuck may be utilized in some examples to transfer the stiffener assembly from the trunnion to a transfer tool. The same vacuum chuck may be transferred along with the stiffener assembly on the transfer tool and loaded onto an inner mold line layup mandrel, where the vacuum chuck may be used to compact the stiffener assembly to the inner mold line layup mandrel.

Composite structure fabrication systems and methods. The systems include a plurality of ply carriers, each of which is configured to support at least one ply segment, and an elongate forming mandrel, which defines an elongate ply forming surface that is shaped to define a surface contour of the composite structure. The systems further include a carrier transfer device, which is configured to selectively convey a selected ply carrier from a ply kitting area to an intermediate location, and a forming machine, which is configured to deform the selected ply carrier and a respective ply segment over a selected portion of the elongate ply forming surface. The forming machine further is configured to separate the selected ply carrier from the respective ply segment and return the selected ply carrier to the carrier transfer device. The methods include methods of operating the systems.

Composite structure fabrication systems and methods. The systems include a plurality of ply carriers, each of which is configured to support at least one ply segment, and an elongate forming mandrel, which defines an elongate ply forming surface that is shaped to define a surface contour of the composite structure. The systems further include a carrier transfer device, which is configured to selectively convey a selected ply carrier from a ply kitting area to an intermediate location, and a forming machine, which is configured to deform the selected ply carrier and a respective ply segment over a selected portion of the elongate ply forming surface. The forming machine further is configured to separate the selected ply carrier from the respective ply segment and return the selected ply carrier to the carrier transfer device. The methods include methods of operating the systems.