The object of the invention can be a method of manufacturing a product in the form of a sandwich comprising a core and outer layers. The outer layers may be composed of composite material comprising a fiber-reinforced polymeric matrix. The method uses an insert of heat-resistant material, for example silicone. The object of this invention can be to provide a method of manufacturing a sandwich that dissociates the choice of material of the core of the sandwich from the choice of the material of the outer layers.

An airfoil member can have a root end, a tip end, a leading edge, and a trailing edge. The airfoil member can include an upper skin, a lower skin, and a composite core member having a plurality of cells, an upper surface network of the cells can be bonded to the upper skin, a lower surface network of the cells can be bonded to the lower skin. The composite core can have a septum layer embedded in the cells that form the composite core, the septum layer being configured to provide tailored characteristics of the airfoil member.

An example method for manufacturing a multicellular structure for acoustic damping is described that includes applying a porogen material to a solid support, inserting a multicellular frame into the solid support and through the porogen material so as to fill cells of the multicellular frame with the porogen material, fusing the porogen material, removing the multicellular frame from the solid support, and the multicellular frame contains a suspended fused porogen network attached to walls of the cells of the multicellular frame. The method also includes applying a solution to the suspended fused porogen network in the cells of the multicellular frame to percolate the suspended fused porogen network, curing the solution, and removing the suspended fused porogen network from the multicellular frame resulting in porous septum membranes of the cured solution in cells of the multicellular frame.

Methods and systems are provided for fabricating a composite structure. In one example, the composite structure may include a honeycomb core sandwiched between face sheets. An edge of the honeycomb core may be abraded and a top face sheet may be perforated. As such, a likelihood of delamination of the composite structure during a curing step may be reduced.

A device to form a honeycomb has an upper continuous belt and a lower continuous belt disposed in parallel and carrying opposing cores. The belts act on liquid wax which is injected into an inlet of the device, with both belts moving in opposition. The inlet has in succession: a scraping zone disposed straight with respect to the upper belt; a zone for opening the cores, which has a certain curvature designed to receive a first injection of wax; and a third straight zone for sealing and expelling any excess wax. At an exit of the device, the longest length of the upper belt has multiple groups of magnetic and non-magnetic rollers for a local curving of the belt to progressively release the honeycomb.

A method for continuously fabricating a composite sandwich structure includes the steps of: (1) moving a laminate, substantially continuously, through a preheating zone, wherein the laminate includes a first face sheet, a second face sheet and a core sandwiched between the first face sheet and the second face sheet; (2) preheating the laminate to a preforming temperature above a glass transition temperature of the laminate and below or equal to a crystalline melt temperature of the laminate as the laminate is being moved through the preheating zone; (3) moving the laminate, substantially continuously, through a consolidation zone; and (4) consolidating the laminate as the laminate is being moved through the consolidation zone to form a continuous length of the composite sandwich structure.

A composite structure assembly includes a composite core including a flexible base and a plurality of cells extending from the flexible base. The composite core is conformable to different shapes. The plurality of cells are configured to move in response to movement of the flexible base. At least one of the plurality of cells may include a central column connected to a first flared end and a second flared end that is opposite from the first flared end.

An acoustic panel comprises: a face sheet comprising a plurality of openings; a back sheet opposite to the face sheet; and an intermediate layer comprising a plurality of cells each comprising a cavity and a plurality of walls extending between the face sheet and the back sheet and surrounding the cavity, the plurality of walls comprising a plurality of drainage slots and a plurality of covers covering the plurality of drainage slots and openable for drainage. A method for making the acoustic panel is also described.

The present invention is directed at materials and methods for their formation having wavy network structures dispersed in a second and relatively harder phase. The materials can be designed to exhibit auxetic properties (e.g. a negative Poisson's ratio) in response to an application of force.

A composite panel includes a first skin layer, an intermediate structural core, and a second skin layer. The first and second skin layers are disposed on opposing sides of the intermediate structural core. The intermediate structural core provides a geometric array of structural members, the arrangement of which is defined using topology optimization.