A sealing member for a powder slush molding apparatus includes an elastomeric main body comprising a head portion, an anchor portion, and a neck portion extending between and joining the head portion and the anchor portion. The head portion of the sealing member defines at least one interior channel that is centered on a midline of the elastomeric main body and which has a polygonal sectional shape. The polygonal sectional shape of the at least one interior channel, and its location on the midline, permits the head portion of the sealing member to attain a measure of compressibility that helps limit the force needed to compress the head portion without rendering the sealing member too flexible that it cannot adequately retain its shape. The sealing member is useful in establishing a seal between a shell and a powder box of a powder slush molding apparatus.

Disclosed herein is a tool for forming a composite part. The tool comprises a first layer, a second layer, spaced apart from the first layer, and a low-density core interposed between the first layer and the second layer. The low-density core has a density less than the first layer and the second layer and comprises a plurality of empty cells at least partially defined by the first layer and the second layer. The tool also comprises a heating source and one of: each one of the plurality of empty cells extends across a width or length of the first layer and the second layer; or adjacent ones of the plurality of empty cells are fluidically interconnected by a fluid port formed in the low-density core.

A dual mold spacer for use with a dual mold assembly is provided that includes a first side portion configured to engage a first side rail of the dual mold assembly. A second side portion is configured to engage a second side rail of the dual mold assembly. A body portion extends from the first side portion to the second side portion and is configured to be located between a press of the dual mold assembly and first and second molds of the dual mold assembly. The body portion is configured for being spaced from and free from engagement with the first and second molds.

A composite prepreg laminate such as a hat type-stringer is formed on a contoured mandrel using a combination of mechanical sweeping and vacuum forming.

Layers of composite material, such as pre-peg, may be deposited on a reconfigurable polymer mold. An array of actuated pins may deform the polymer mold into a desired 3D shape. The composite material may be inside a cavity formed by the mold and a flexible bag. A vacuum pump may remove air from the cavity, creating a partial vacuum. The partial vacuum may cause the flexible bag to press the composite tightly against the mold, so that the composite conforms to the desired 3D shape. One or more heating elements may be embedded in the mold and may heat the composite to cure the composite. Ball joints may connect the actuated pins to the polymer mold.

The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a preform for a wind turbine blade and to a preform mould. The method involves providing a plurality of support elements (70), each support element (70) comprising a planar member (72), arranging a plurality of strips (88) on the top surface (78) of the planar member (72) of each support element (70), wherein the strips (88) are arranged in juxtaposition. Subsequently, a fibre material and a binding agent may be laid on at least part of the strips (88) for forming the preform.

A blade mould and a method for manufacturing a blade shell part of a wind turbine blade is disclosed. The blade mould comprises a first mould frame; a mould shell supported by the first mould frame and provided with a moulding surface that defines an outer shape of the blade shell part, wherein the mould shell has a longitudinal direction and comprises a root end mould part at a first end thereof; and a first deformation device for deforming the root end mould part of the mould shell. The method comprises arranging reinforcement material on the moulding surface of the root end mould part; deforming the root end mould part to a receiving configuration; inserting the root end insert in the root end mould part; and bringing the root end mould part to a moulding configuration.

A press tool for a press assembly includes an additive manufactured body including a plurality of stacked layers of additive manufacturable material extending between an interior side and an exterior side. The interior side has a part forming surface including a surface profile for forming a part. The exterior side has a plurality of hollow cores defined by longitudinal walls and lateral walls meeting at joints. Press inserts are coupled to the longitudinal walls and the lateral walls at the exterior side. The press inserts are configured to be pressed inward by a pressing load during a pressing operation for forming the part. The press inserts distribute the pressing load along the longitudinal and lateral walls.

This disclosure is directed to a thermoplastic composite material forming method and tooling used to perform the method. More specifically, this disclosure is directed to a method of fabricating large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes with a consolidation tool having a conformable tooling bladder that heat thermoplastic material in the tool and provide thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool to form a part shape of thermoplastic composite material. A novel tooling concept is used to fabricate large, complex thermoplastic composite part shapes which are not easily producible using traditional methods. The tooling concept employs a consolidation tool that provides a method to apply thermoplastic material consolidation pressure by a conformable tooling bladder that provides thermoplastic material consolidation pressure in directions in the tool that are not achievable by conventional clamshell type molds where the mold parts move in substantially vertical tool opening and tool closing directions.

The invention relates to a production mold for a rotor blade of a wind turbine plant, having two mold half-shells (3, 4) which during a production method of the rotor blade are disposed so as to be at least temporarily beside one another, and having at least one inner walkway (2c, 2d) that runs along so as to be between the two mold half-shells (3, 4), characterized by at least one escape path (40) which runs along below at least one of the two mold half-shells (3, 4).