Cauls and methods of using cauls to produce composite articles are provided. The caul transitions from a rigid state to an elastomeric state and from an elastomeric state to a rigid state in response to a stimulus and has a reinforcement density of from 100 kg/m.sup.3 to 500 kg/m.sup.3. Methods of using cauls to produce composite articles involve positioning one or more fiber layers between a caul and a cure mold surface when the caul is in a rigid state. The fiber layers, caul, and cure mold surface may be covered with a sealed barrier and a pressure gradient may be applied. Before, after, or before and after performing the vacuum the fiber layers may be impregnated with resin. The fiber layers may be cured, which may provide a stimulus to transition the caul from a rigid to an elastomeric state, and the composite article is produced.

A composite laminate heating tool broadly comprising a substructure, a facesheet, and number of expansion joints. The substructure supports the facesheet but does not need to have the same or a similar CTE as the facesheet because the facesheet is free to expand relative to the substructure. The expansion joints provide an interface between the facesheet and the substructure so that the facesheet can thermally expand relative to the substructure while being fully supported by the substructure. Each expansion joint includes a guide attached to the substructure and a support member translatable relative to the guide and aligned radially from a centroid or center of expansion of the facesheet so as to have a single degree of freedom.

A mold capable of imparting an appropriate amount of heat depending on a part of an object to be heated, the mold for transferring heat to the object to be heated is provided with a hollow portion inside the mold, and a heat amount adjusting agent, which is accommodated in the hollow portion, for changing heat transfer property of the hollow portion, in which the heat amount adjusting agent is made of a powdery or granular material having a material property different from a material property of the mold.

A tire mold capable of imparting appropriate amounts of heat according to regions of an uncured tire is provided. The tire mold includes a base mold and a pattern mold which is fitted to the base mold and has a surface part for molding a tread pattern on the tire. A heat adjusting agent for adjusting amounts of heat to be transmitted to the tire via the surface part of the pattern mold is placed in a hollow cavity formed between the base mold and the pattern mold or inside the base mold.

A tool for use in consolidation of a fibre-reinforced component has an outer casing supported by an internal structure. The outer casing has a first contact surface, which is provided for the purpose of resting flat against the component during the consolidation of the component and predetermining a shape of the component in some section or sections. The internal structure and the outer casing are configured in such a way that, when the tool is heated from an initial temperature to a consolidation temperature required for the consolidation of the component, the tool expands in such a way perpendicularly to the first contact surface that a defined first pressure is exerted on the component by the first contact surface. The use of a component of this kind is furthermore claimed and described.

A method for manufacturing hollow composite material turbomachine part, includes producing a fibrous blank in one piece by three-dimensional weaving of yarns, the blank including at least one de-bonded zone forming an internal cavity, inserting a shaping part into the internal cavity of the fibrous blank in order to obtain a preform, densification of the preform by a matrix in order to obtain a structure having a fibrous reinforcement consisting of the preform densified by the matrix, wherein the shaping part is flexible and wherein the shaping part is mechanically withdrawn from the structure after the densification.

A molding die and a molding method are provided, which allow high-cycle manufacturing of molded bodies of a thermoplastic resin or thermoplastic resin-fiber composite material, thereby improving productivity. Molding is performed using a molding die including a plurality of die portions that form a cavity in which a molded body is molded, the molding die including: a first temperature adjusting unit disposed in the vicinity of the cavity surface and capable of at least cooling the cavity surface; and a second temperature adjusting unit disposed on a side of the first temperature adjusting unit opposite from the cavity surface and capable of at least heating the cavity surface, wherein a distance L0 from the cavity surface to the first temperature adjusting unit and a distance L1 from the cavity surface to a surface of the corresponding die portion opposite from the cavity surface satisfy the relationship: (L1/L0)>3.

The disclosed embodiments include a system and method for manufacturing a lens. In one embodiment, the system includes a lens mold. According to the embodiment, the lens mold contains a part cavity and a material flow path fluidly coupled to the part cavity and a lens material inlet. The system also includes a heat transfer insert. According to the embodiment, the heat transfer insert includes an insert surface positioned adjacent to a part surface of the cavity, a sealed fluid inlet, a sealed fluid outlet, and a conformal fluid conduit that extends from the sealed fluid inlet to the sealed fluid outlet.

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for designing and manufacturing conformal cooling molds with lattice structures include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining temperature and pressure data for a 3D model of a conformal cooling mold from computer simulation of injection molding; replacing a volume of the 3D model with a lattice structure to reduce the mass of the mold; adjusting a number of lattice unit cells for the lattice structure in accordance with the temperature data to increase heat conduction from hotter areas of the mold; adjusting thickness(es) of beams forming the lattice structure in accordance with the pressure data to prevent structural failure of the mold; and providing an updated version of the 3D model of the conformal cooling mold that incorporates the lattice structure after adjustment of the number of lattice unit cells and the thickness(es) of beams forming the lattice structure.

A mold (30) for a wind turbine component (10) is described. The component comprises a plurality of elements having different respective heat capacities. The mold comprises an inner mold layer (38) defining a mold surface (40) for supporting the plurality of elements, heating means (44) disposed beneath the mold surface, and a heat distribution layer (46) adjacent to the heating means. The mold has one or more first regions (34) configured to support elements of the component having relatively high heat capacity, one or more second regions (36) configured to support elements of the component having relatively low heat capacity, and one or more transition regions (35) defined between the first and second regions. The heat distribution layer in one or more transition regions of the mold is configured to enhance heat transfer within the distribution layer to one or more first regions of the mold.