A joining system includes a holding fixture assembly configured to hold a fuselage skin. The stringers are temporarily attached to the fuselage skin. The joining system includes an upper beam assembly including an upper beam and a lower beam assembly. The lower beam assembly includes a lower beam and at least one lower heating element. The holding fixture assembly is coupled to the upper beam assembly. The holding fixture assembly is coupled to the lower beam assembly. The upper beam is movable relative to the lower beam to clamp the at least one of the plurality of stringers and the fuselage skin together prior to and during welding.

A system for laser processing includes a plate assembly having a first plate, a second plate secured to the first plate, and a pressure chamber located between the plates, a connector extending into and in fluid communication with the pressure chamber, and a fixture having a first end attached to the second plate of the plate assembly, a second end having surface having at least one opening and shaped to fit a part to be retained and laser processed, and a conduit extending therethrough in fluid communication with the pressure chamber and the at least one opening. During use, a pressure generated by a pump may be communicated to the conduit of the fixture through the pressure chamber to provide pressure (e.g., a suction effect) at the opening(s) to secure the part in place, e.g., with respect to another part, so they can be laser processed.

A method may comprise: laying up a first plurality of plies of material comprising thermoplastic resin and fiber to form an inner skin preform, the inner skin preform being a continuous sheet including alternating peaks and valleys; laying up a second plurality of plies of material comprising thermoplastic resin and fiber to form an outer skin preform; and joining the inner skin preform to the outer skin preform.

Described herein are methods of forming uncured sealant assemblies and also methods of forming seals between various parts using such assemblies. In some examples, an uncured sealant assembly comprises two protective layers and an uncured sealant layer, disposed in between. The uncured sealant assembly is stored and provided at a cure-inhibiting temperature, selected to minimize the curing rate of the uncured sealant layer. The size and the shape of the uncured sealant layer are specifically selected to ensure the complete coverage of the faying surfaces, filling of all gaps and voids between the faying surfaces, and controlling the shape and size of uncured sealant squeeze out between the faying surfaces. In some examples, the size and shape of the uncured sealant layer maybe be specifically selected to have no uncured sealant squeeze out between parts.

The invention relates to a method for the ultrasonic welding of two plastic components using a sonotrode, wherein the energy for the welding is introduced into the plastic components via at least one or more pins of the sonotrode, wherein the two plastic components are welded to one another step by step, wherein the respectively subsequent step of the welding is carried out in a region which has already been loaded and relieved of tension as a result of the preceding step of the welding.

An end effector, for adhesively attaching a first part to a second part, comprises a support and a first nozzle, coupled to the support and movable relative to the support, and a second nozzle, coupled to the support and movable relative to the support. The first nozzle comprises a first-nozzle body, comprising a first-nozzle-body outlet port and a first-nozzle separator plate, extending from the first-nozzle body. The second nozzle comprises a second-nozzle body, comprising a second-nozzle-body inlet port and a second-nozzle separator plate, extending from the second-nozzle body. The end effector further comprises a roller, coupled to the support, rotatable relative to the support about a roller axis, and located between the first nozzle and the second nozzle.

Parts (10) for connection to at least one further part (30, 30′). The part (10) has at least two weld sections (11, 11′) to be welded individually to at least one of the further parts (30, 30′) by vibration welding. Each weld section (11, 11′) has at least one weld surface (13, 13′), for connection to the corresponding further part (30, 30′), and is spatially separated from each other weld section (11, 11′) by at least one vibration decoupling zone (14, 14′,23, 26). The part (10) has a particular arrangement of the weld section (11, 11′) with respect to the center of gravity (S) or has a particular mass distribution with respect to the weld section (11, 11′). Methods for connecting a part to at least one further part (30, 30′) and a composite part (90) containing a part (10) and a further part (30, 30′) are also disclosed.

A sonotrode includes multiple layers of a material melted to one another to form a structure. The structure provides a base that has an attachment feature that is configured to operatively secure to an ultrasonic converter. The structure includes a shaft that extends from the base to a terminal end that provides a working surface that is configured to selectively engage a workpiece. The structure has at least one shaft that includes a first shaft that extends from the base to a first terminal end that provides a first working surface that is configured to selectively engage a workpiece. The first shaft is integrally formed with the base from the multiple layers to provide an unbroken, monolithic construction.

A method of constructing an inflatable fluidic actuator that includes generating a tube configuration with one or more shapes of fluid-impermeable membrane material, the tube configuration having a first tube end and a second tube end and an internal tube face and an external tube face. The method also includes coupling a first and second interface to the tube configuration at the first and second tube ends by respectively coupling each interface to the tube configuration at a respective tube end by generating at least one of: a first circumferential bond between the fluid-impermeable membrane material and one or more sidewalls of the interface; and an external face bond between fluid-impermeable membrane material at the tube end onto an external face of the interface.

Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of liners, linings, and liquid containment vessels including the same. Also disclosed are exemplary method of providing liners and linings for liquid containment vessels, such as process tanks, immersion tanks, containment pits, gravity feed conduits for transferring or conveying liquid, etc. In an exemplary embodiment, a liner or lining is anchored to at least one structural component by at least one extrusion weld and at least one mechanical fastener. The mechanical fastener is coupled to the structural component. The extrusion weld is coupled to the mechanical fastener. The liner or lining may be anchored to a wide range of structural components, such as a frame, a framework, a frame member, a tank, a wall, a support member, a reinforcing member, an outer shell, a substrate (e.g., concrete, etc.) or sidewalls defining a pit or a gravity feed conduit, combinations thereof, other structures or components, etc.