A core metal includes, on an outer circumference thereof, a plurality of attachment surfaces to which a plurality of strings are attached, and a plurality of guided portions are formed along an axial direction of the core metal and disposed between two of the attachment surfaces. A string supply device includes a string supply unit that supplies the strings to the outer circumference of the core metal, an attaching unit that arranges and attaches the strings on the attachment surfaces of the core metal in a circumferential direction of the core metal, and a plurality of guiding units, in contact with the guided portions of the core metal, which guides the core metal.

The invention discloses a method of manufacturing a handrail assembly including steps of 1) providing a first material layer and a second material layer, wherein the second material layer is a hot melt material; 2) stacking the second material layer on the first material layer to form a substrate layer with an integrated structure; 3) curling the substrate layer to form a handrail cover matching a handrail tube, wherein the handrail cover is a sleeve structure and the second material layer is located at an inner side of the handrail cover; 4) inserting the handrail tube matching the handrail cover into the handrail cover to form a handrail assembly semi-finished product; 5) baking the handrail assembly semi-finished product until the second material layer is completely melted; and 6) cooling the handrail assembly semi-finished product after baking to form the handrail assembly.

A method of manufacturing a reinforced pipe (7) comprising: wrapping a pipe (1) in reinforcing tape (2) to form a wrapped pipe having an outer circumference consisting of a first circumferential portion (4) and a second circumferential portion (6); and passing the first circumferential portion (4) over one or more heating elements (3) to fuse the reinforcing tape (2) of said first circumferential portion (4); wherein: the first circumferential portion (4) is between 1% and 50% of the outer circumference; and the second circumferential portion (6) is not passed over a heating element (3) and is not fused. The method is advantageous in that it can provide reinforced pipes (7) in a simpler and cheaper way because it is not essential that the entirety of the outer circumference of the reinforced pipe (7) is fused. A reinforced pipe (7) produced according to the method of the present invention is also provided.

In one embodiment, a method includes fastening a plurality of components of a composite structure in an assembly fixture, wherein the assembly fixture comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the assembly fixture further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the assembly fixture; and heating the assembly fixture in an autoclave to bond the plurality of components of the composite structure.

An apparatus and method for consolidating a pipe that has been wrapped with reinforcing tape, is provided. The apparatus comprises two or more pipe consolidation devices, each having a first end, a second end, and comprising: first and second support members arranged at the first end and having a gap therebetween; and an optional third support member at the second end. Each device further comprises a peripheral band that extends around the first, second, and optionally the third support members and is substantially unsupported in the gap between the first and second support members. The apparatus additionally comprises a mounting plate having a central aperture, and two or more of the devices mounted on the mounting plate such that the first end of each device is arranged bearing against a pipe extending through the central aperture. A method of manufacturing reinforced pipe is also provided.

A tube (10) and a method of constructing such a tube, the tube (10) being in the form of a composite film structure comprising a co-extrusion of a plurality of layers bonded together to provide an integrated structure. The layers comprise an inner layer (11), an intermediate layer (12) and outer layer (13). The intermediate layer (12) is of a material compatible with two adjacent layers (11, 13) between which it is interposed, wherein the intermediate layer (12) provides a bridge between the two layers (11, 13) to provide the tube (10) as an integrated structure. The exterior surface (15) of the tube (10) is optionally treated or modified or is provided with a coating, typically for bonding with another substance such as a resinous binder. A hollow structure in the form of a tubular element configured as a pipe and constructed using the tube (10) is also disclosed.

At least one infrared element arrangement having at least one infrared element (3) comprising a plurality of infrared radiators (4) is mounted on a frame moveable with respect to a synthetic filter fabric mounted to a filtering surface. The frame may have wheels or the like such that the infrared radiators may be moved along the length of the filtering surface to heat the synthetic filter fabric (6) to a temperature of 100 to 160° C. for shrinking the fabric (6) on the filtering surface (5).

A resin composition and method for installing a pipe liner that allows the liner to be fully wet out with a resin and activator and stored for a period of up to six months prior to installation and curing. A method of lining a pipe with a delayed curing resin composition is also provided that includes fully wetting out a liner with a blended two part epoxy composition such that the liner can be transported in a wet out fashion, placed in a pipe to be lined and repositioned as needed without concern for the resin composition to begin curing.

A system for coating a field joint of a pipeline places at least one body having a thermoplastics material around the field joint. The body is heated in a mould cavity around the field joint to effect thermal expansion of the thermoplastics material. Thermal expansion of the body in the mould cavity is constrained to apply elevated pressure between the body and pipe sections joined at the field joint. The elevated pressure improves bonding and fusing between the body, which forms a field joint coating, and the parent coatings and the exposed pipe sections of the pipe joints. The body need not be fully molten, which reduces the mould residence time including in-mould heating and cooling phases.

A method of making a composite pipe has the steps of (a) providing one or more sources of composite tape, the composite tape being formed of reinforcing fibres embedded in a thermoplastic matrix; (b) helically winding the composite tape(s) around a cylinder under the application of heat to form a pipe comprising fused, concentric layers of adjacently positioned, helically-wound composite tape; (c) scanning a region where edges of wound composite tape are expected to be, to generate scanning information; (d) controlling the gap between further adjacent windings by (1) using the scanning information to determine wound composite tape edge position(s), and (2) using the determined wound composite tape edge position(s) to adjust the winding process during winding; (e) repeating steps (c) and (d). The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus for making a composite pipe.