The invention provides an autoclave capable of creating a uniform temperature distribution inside a pressurized chamber and a method for manufacturing tires using the autoclave. The autoclave shaped as a cylindrical pressurized chamber has a heat source and a fan disposed on one end side thereof and ducts extending lengthwise on the inner peripheral wall surface thereof to discharge air blown by the fan to the other end side thereof. And the air outlets of the ducts are so designed as to discharge the air blown by the fan in a circumferential direction of the pressurized chamber.

An example apparatus for fabrication of a co-cured composite assembly includes a layup tool body with a cavity, a thermal expansion insert inserted into the cavity of the layup tool body and a first uncured composite part of the composite assembly is positioned onto the thermal expansion insert, and a solid internal mandrel configured for insertion onto the first uncured composite part. During curing, the first uncured composite part compacts and reduces in thickness while the solid internal mandrel and the thermal expansion insert each increase in size to apply pressure to the first uncured composite part.

A method for manufacturing a composite part by laying up courses of composite tape using an automated tape layup (ATL) machine onto a conductive flexible facesheet laid flat on a flat surface, and then transferring the facesheet with the composite material thereon to a curved tooling surface for attachment of substructures and curing into the composite part. The method may also include applying insulation below the facesheet and above the composite material, then heating the conductive facesheet to cure the composite tape and fuse the composite tape to the substructures without heating the tooling surface or any other items used to compress and cure the composite material into the composite part. Heating of the facesheet may be performed using joule heat provided by a single turn transformer inducing current to a plurality of conductive wires attached at opposing ends to the facesheet.

A system for manufacturing a composite part including a conductive flexible facesheet and an automated tape layup (ATL) machine for laying up composite tape onto the facesheet that is laid flat on a flat surface. The system also includes a curved tooling surface for transferring the facesheet with the composite material thereon to the curved tooling surface for attachment of substructures and curing into the composite part. System may also include insulation placed below the facesheet and insulation placed above the composite material, as well as a source of electricity and heat for heating the conductive facesheet to cure, melt, or fuse the composite tape and substructures without heating the tooling surface and other tooling used in the composite curing process. Heating of the facesheet may be performed using joule heat provided by a single turn transformer inducing current to conductive wires attached at opposing ends to the facesheet.

Disclosed here is an autoclave system for curing a part. The autoclave includes a gas recirculation system, at least partially external to a vessel pf the autoclave system and fluidly coupleable to the vessel such that gas contained in the vessel is delivered to the gas recirculation system, passed through the gas recirculation system, and recirculated back into the vessel. The autoclave system also comprises at least one mold core, located within the vessel. The mold core comprises a conduit extending through the mold core and the mold core is configured to define a shape of the part. The gas delivered to the gas recirculation system from the vessel is gas received directly from the conduit of the mold core.

A method for hardening a preform into a composite part is provided. The method comprises aligning a layup mandrel carrying a preform for insertion into an autoclave having an inner surface that is complementary to a contour of the preform. The layup mandrel is then sealed into the autoclave.

A method for hardening a preform into a composite part is provided. The method comprises aligning a layup mandrel carrying a preform for insertion into an autoclave having an inner surface that is complementary to a contour of the preform. The layup mandrel is then sealed into the autoclave.

A method for producing thermally crosslinkable polymers in a planetary roller extruder is presented. The planetary roller extruder has a filling part and a compounding part made of a roller cylinder region that comprises at least two, preferably at least three coupled roller cylinders, planetary spindles of which are driven by a common central spindle. The polymers are supplied in a plasticized state. The filling part is supplied with a vacuum. The flow temperatures of the central spindle and the at least two roller cylinders under a vacuum are set such that the polymers to be degassed remain in the plasticized state. One or more liquids, such as thermal crosslinkers, crosslinking accelerators, dye solutions, or dye dispersions, are metered to the plasticized polymers downstream of the vacuum degassing, preferably in a continuous manner. Finally, the resulting mixture is directly supplied to a coating assembly.

The present application relates to the technical field of the research on energetic composite materials, and in particular to a device and a method for controlling transverse and longitudinal stress waves during the curing process of energetic composite materials. The device for controlling transverse and longitudinal stress waves comprises a curing vessel containing an energetic composite materials to be cured; a vertical exciter that is vertically incident to the curing vessel; and a plurality of oblique exciters which are arranged around the vertical exciter and obliquely incident to the curing vessel, wherein the oblique exciters have inclination angles between a first critical angle and a second critical angle. By means of incident transverse and longitudinal waves, the internal radial residual stress and the internal axial residual stress are reduced and homogenized, so as to improve stability and mechanical property of the energetic composite materials during curing.

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.