Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

Disclosed herein is a method of forming a composite part. The method includes heating an unconsolidated mat including a first thermoplastic, a second thermoplastic, and reinforcing fibers to a first temperature. The first thermoplastic includes a first melting temperature and the second thermoplastic includes a second melting temperature greater than the first melting temperature. The first temperature is greater than the second melting temperature. The method includes compressing the unconsolidated mat, while heated, into a composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet. The method includes reheating the composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is above the first melting temperature and below the second melting temperature and, while reheated, forming the composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet into a desired shape.

A method of manufacturing a sealed circuit card assembly includes disposing a circuit card assembly within a volume defined by a housing and at least partially filling the volume with a curable liquid such that the curable liquid encapsulates at least a circuit card. The method may also include curing the curable liquid to form a potted circuit card assembly and, after at least partially filling the volume with the curable liquid and after curing the curable liquid, vacuum impregnating the potted circuit card assembly with a sealant to seal any exposed interfaces or cracks to form the sealed circuit card assembly. Accordingly, the sealed circuit card assembly may include a first cured material encapsulating the circuit card of the circuit card assembly and a second cured material disposed within, for example, a porosity of the first cured material.

A composite wheel structure includes a single continuous fiber reinforcement layer extending axially between inner and outer ends of the wheel structure. The single fiber reinforcement layer is impregnated with different matrix materials at different axial portions of the reinforcement layer to account for specific locations where high strength or high temperature performance is needed, with other portions having different matrix materials where low temperature performance and/or low strength is sufficient. The matrix materials may be provided as separate resin films that are applied side-by-side on the single reinforcement layer, or they may be provided on a single resin film. The matrix materials may be applied to the reinforcement layer in a direct coating process. The reinforcement layer may be prepregged with the matrix materials prior to a wheel layup process, or the reinforcement layer and matrix materials may be consolidated by resin film infusion during the wheel layup process.

A fiber-reinforced member includes: a base member having a tubular region with an outer circumferential surface extending along and substantially in parallel with an axial direction; and a fiber-reinforced resin layer constituted of a tow prepreg wound in an overlapping manner to cover the outer circumferential surface of the base member along a predetermined direction crossing the axial direction when viewed in a radial direction of the base member, the tow prepreg serving as a widened tape-like member. The tape-like member constituting the fiber-reinforced resin layer has a portion having a fiber line extending along a direction crossing the predetermined direction. A size of a width of the tape-like member constituting the fiber-reinforced resin layer is not less than 100 times and not more than 400 times as large as a size of a thickness of the tape-like member constituting the fiber-reinforced resin layer in the radial direction.

A composite article includes a first segment and a second segment spaced apart form the first segment. The composite article includes continuous fibers that extend from the first segment to the second segment. The composite article also includes discontinuous fiber distributed throughout the composite article.

A method for producing an acoustically resistive structure includes the steps of creating, consolidating and cutting a first layer of reinforcing fibres embedded in a first thermoplastic resin having a first melting point so as to obtain an interlayer, a step of laying a second layer of reinforcing fibres against a first face of the interlayer, a second consolidation step of consolidating the second layer of reinforcing fibres embedded in a second thermoplastic resin having a second consolidation temperature lower than the first melting point of the first resin so as to obtain a non-perforated external layer bound to the interlayer, a step of perforating the external layer and a step of laying an internal layer on a second face of the interlayer. An acoustically resistive structure obtained from the method as well as a sound-absorption panel including such an acoustically resistive structure are also described.

A method of fabricating a composite material, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, b) providing an array of thermoplastic islands across at least a proportion of a major surface of the first layer, c) providing a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, d) laying the second layer over at least some of the islands, and e) securing the first and second layers together. There is also disclosed a composite which comprises a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer and a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, between which is an intervening layer comprising an array of thermoplastic islands.

A composite sheet material and method for forming the same is provided that includes a substrate, a matrix, and a cover sheet. The substrate has a first face surface, a second face surface, and a plurality of edges, and includes a thermoplastic material. The matrix is attached to the substrate. The matrix includes a support component having a first melting point, and a thermoplastic component having a second melting point. The second melting point is less than the first melting point. The cover sheet imparts one or more surface characteristics to the composite sheet material during thermo-pressure formation of the composite sheet material.