A method of making a part comprising stacking a plurality of uncured composite sheets to form an uncured composite stack. The method also comprises interposing a resistor wire between an adjacent two of the uncured composite sheets of the uncured composite stack. The method further comprises applying heat to the uncured composite stack externally of the uncured composite stack to at least partially cure the plurality of uncured composite sheets. The method additionally comprises transmitting an electric current through the resistor wire to generate heat, from the resistor wire, internally within the uncured composite stack to at least partially cure the plurality of uncured composite sheets. Applying heat to the uncured composite stack externally and generating heat internally converts the plurality of uncured composite sheets into a plurality of cured composite sheets and converts the uncured composite stack into a cured composite stack.

A composite system for the reinforcement of physical structures includes a plurality of unidirectional fibers arranged with respective longitudinal axes generally parallel to each other over a substantial portion of a length of each unidirectional fiber. The plurality of unidirectional fibers are non-mechanically connected. A resinous material adheres the plurality of unidirectional fibers to each other such that each one of the plurality of unidirectional fiber is adhered to at least one adjacent one of the plurality of unidirectional fibers along a substantial portion of the length of the adjacent one of the plurality unidirectional fibers.

A formable resin sheet includes a base and a thermally expansive layer that contains a thermally expandable material and is formed on one surface of the base. When the thermally expansive layer is expanded, the base is deformed with expansion of the thermally expansive layer, such that the base is deformed in an embossed shape, and a deformation amount of the base is greater than an expansion height of the thermally expansive layer.

In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced composite material, the fiber-reinforced composite material is formed by impregnating a reinforcing fiber sheet with a resin and curing the resin. The method includes: storing the reinforcing fiber sheet in a cavity of a forming mold; and impregnating the reinforcing fiber sheet with the resin by injecting the resin into the cavity of the forming mold, and curing the resin. In the impregnating and curing, the resin containing a magnetic powder is injected into the cavity, and a magnetic field is generated in the cavity to cause the resin containing the magnetic powder to flow.

In manufacturing an electrothermal heater mat, there is provided a preform which comprises a laminated stack of dielectric layers which are made of thermoplastic material and include a central layer or group of layers which include(s) reinforcement and first and second outer groups of layers which do not include reinforcement. The preform includes a heater element and the preform has a first configuration. The preform is then heated to a temperature (e.g. 180 C.) between the glass-transition temperature of the thermoplastic material and the melting point of the thermoplastic material, and the heated preform is formed into a second configuration which is different to the first configuration so as to produce the heater mat.

A structure forming method of present invention includes a first step including forming a first pattern serving as a fine pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a first surface, on the side on which an expansion layer which expands by heating is provided, of a medium including the expansion layer and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the first pattern, of the expansion layer, and a second step including forming a second pattern including a coarser pattern than the first pattern using an electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material on a second surface, on the opposite side to the side on which the expansion layer is provided, of the medium and then irradiating an electromagnetic wave toward the electromagnetic wave thermal conversion material to expand a portion, corresponding to the second pattern, of the expansion layer.

A method of producing a wind turbine rotor blade For that purpose metal particles, metal powder or metal chips are mixed into a matrix used to produce the rotor blade. Inductive heating of the matrix with the metal particles, metal powder or metal chips is then effected to harden the matrix in at least one portion of the wind turbine rotor blade.

A method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body, including heating a fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor containing thermoplastic resin as matrix resin to soften it and molding it in a molding die, where temperature unevenness between the inside and surface of the fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor can be reduced. The method includes a first step of storing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body precursor containing thermoplastic resin as the matrix resin and containing conductive fibrous materials therein into a heating furnace with heating apparatuses while holding the precursor using a pair of holding tools, which also function as electrodes, and then actuating the heating apparatuses while supplying current to the precursor from the electrodes, thereby softening the precursor; and a second step of transferring the softened precursor to a molding die using the holding tools, and molding a fiber-reinforced resin molded body in the molding die.

An expansion apparatus includes: a first expander for irradiating with electromagnetic waves emitted from a lamp a thermal conversion layer for conversion of the electromagnetic waves to heat, to cause at least a portion of a thermal expansion layer to expand, the thermal conversion layer being laminated to a molding sheet including a base and the thermal expansion layer laminated to a first main surface of the base; and a second expander for causing expansion of a region (C) of the thermal expansion layer that is smaller in size than a region (B) of the thermal expansion layer expanded by the first expander.

A method of fabricating a blade. The blade comprises subassemblies made of thermoplastic composite materials, each subassembly comprising an internal arrangement and at least one external arrangement, each internal arrangement comprising a stack of intermediate layers comprising reinforcing fibers impregnated with a semicrystalline thermoplastic matrix, each external arrangement comprising at least one surface layer comprising reinforcing fibers impregnated with an alloy of a semicrystalline thermoplastic polymer and of an amorphous thermoplastic polymer. An assembly film comprising an amorphous thermoplastic material and a ferromagnetic member is interposed between two surface layers of two distinct subassemblies that are to be assembled together by a method of local heating by induction.