A method for fabricating a stiffened panel. Layers of composite material are placed on a surface of an inner-mold-line tool having protrusions that extend from the surface of the inner-mold-line tool. The layers of composite material laid-up on the surface of the inner-mold-line tool are compacted to form compacted layers of composite material. The compacted layers of composite material are cured to form an inner-mold-line layer having corresponding protrusions. The inner-mold-line layer is joined to an outer-mold-line layer.

A tooling mandrel for manufacturing a composite structure may include a mandrel body having a fluid passage network formed within the mandrel body for passing a fluid medium through the mandrel body. The fluid passage network may have a passage cross-sectional area shaped to promote thermal conductance between the fluid medium and the tooling mandrel and cause a change in a mandrel cross-sectional shape.

A tooling mandrel for manufacturing a composite structure may include a mandrel body having a fluid passage network formed within the mandrel body for passing a fluid medium through the mandrel body. The fluid passage network may have a passage cross-sectional area shaped to promote thermal conductance between the fluid medium and the tooling mandrel and cause a change in a mandrel cross-sectional shape.

A panel may be formed with mandrels inside of stiffening members. The panel may be coupled to a panel holding jig. A winch may be coupled to the mandrels. The winch may pull the mandrels out of the stiffening members and into curved tracks.

A mold insert assembly includes a base section having a base side removably attachable to a base plate of a mold and a first interface surface having a notched portion thereon. A first section includes a first interface side with a first interconnecting tab sized to engage the notched portion of the base section when the first interface side abuts the first interface surface, the first section further including an adjoining side having an interconnecting notch. A second section includes a second interface side having a second interconnecting tab, where the second interconnecting tab is sized to engage the interconnecting notch of the first section when the second interface side abuts the adjoining side, and where the base section, the first section, and the second section when assembled form a contoured insert configured to create a contoured cavity in a part formed within the mold.

A cascade for a jet engine thrust reverser is fabricated by co-consolidating pre-consolidated thermoplastic strongbacks and vanes. The strongbacks are reinforced with continuous fibers, and the vanes are reinforced with discontinuous fibers.

Provided is an injection mold and a method of injection molding having a molding core system. The molding core system including a plurality of co-operable components manipulable between a first molding position at which the core system is fully deployed and a second position in which the core system is configured to axially retract and radially contract into a second drawing position, the outer shape of said core system being substantially complementary to the inner shape of the molded article.

A mold for use in fabricating a gas turbine fan casing out of composite material includes a mandrel for having wound thereon a fiber preform of a fan casing and an annular wall with an outside surface of profile corresponding to the profile of the inside surface of the casing that is to be fabricated and of two lateral rims of profiles corresponding to the profiles of outer flanges of the casing that is to be fabricated; a plurality of mold cover angular sectors that are assembled in leaktight manner on the mandrel and that are to close the mold and to compact the fiber preform wound on the mandrel; and a plurality of locking keys configured to lock together in leaktight manner neighboring mold cover sectors. A method of closing such a mold, and a method of fabricating a fan casing are included.

A panel may be formed with mandrels inside of stiffening members. The panel may be coupled to a panel holding jig. A winch may be coupled to the mandrels. The winch may pull the mandrels out of the stiffening members and into curved tracks.

Methods of fabricating a component, such as a cascade grid panel for a jet engine thrust reverser, having a plurality of cavities extending through the component, with each cavity having at least one surface with a complex contour, and related devices. A plurality of two or more mold inserts are stacked to form a mold insert stack, with the mold insert stack having a plurality of mold bosses formed by mold boss sets. The mold boss sets are each formed by a mold boss segment from each of the mold inserts. Further, the mold boss segments are affixed to respective baseplates so that the mold boss segments can be handled as a group and remain properly positioned relative to their neighboring mold boss segments.