Systems and methods are provided for shaping flat charges. One embodiment is a forming system for shaping a flat charge. The forming system includes female dies that are elongate and are configured to hold the flat charge, and a male die that is elongate and is configured to press into the flat charge between the female dies to form the flat charge while the flat charge is supported, the male die includes notches that extend along a length of the male die and are dimensioned to retain gap fillers of the flat charge at widthwise locations of the flat charge corresponding to corners at the female dies while the flat charge is formed.

A composite material molding jig for molding a long member made of a fiber base material and a resin on a plate member includes: a first member that is made of a material having a thermal expansion coefficient equivalent to a thermal expansion coefficient of the long member, internally includes a space serving as a mold of the long member, and has an outer surface formed flat in a longitudinal direction; and a second member that is made of a material lighter than the material of the first member, internally includes a space shaped to contain the first member, and has an inner surface formed flat in the longitudinal direction, wherein the fiber base material is placed in the space inside the first member, and the first member is placed in the space inside the second member for molding the long member.

A molding device for producing a shell element reinforced with supporting elements and composed of fiber composite material, including a mold part with a mold surface including a cavity for receiving a supporting element of the shell element, and a mold core to be arranged in the cavity and to support the supporting element on the shell element when the supporting element of the shell element is arranged in the cavity. The molding device enables prevention of the mold cores from falling out in an uncontrolled manner when the shell element is removed from the mold as the mold core includes a holding device to engage with the supporting element of the shell element to be produced located in the cavity and to hold the mold core on the supporting element when the shell element to be produced is released from the mold part.

A composite component (16) for a vehicle (10) includes a laminate (18) made from a composite material, a first pad-up area (22) applied to the laminate (18), where the first pad-up area (22) includes a plurality of first tows laid next to one another in a side-by-side arrangement and where the first pad-up area (22) defines a first fiber orientation, and a second pad-up area (24), where the second pad-up area (24) includes a plurality of second tows laid next to one another in a side-by-side arrangement and where the second pad-up area (24) defines a second fiber orientation that differs by a predetermined angle from the first fiber orientation. The first pad-up area (22) and the second pad-up area (22) intersect at an intersecting area and together form a first pad-up ply on the laminate (18).

Systems are provided for fabricating a preform for a fuselage section of an aircraft. The system includes advancing a series of arcuate mandrel sections in a process direction through an assembly line, laying up fiber reinforced material onto the arcuate mandrel sections via layup stations, uniting the series of arcuate mandrel sections into a combined mandrel; and splicing the fiber reinforced material laid-up onto the arcuate mandrel sections.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the manufacture of composite components having incorporated reinforcing structures machined into composite material substrates, and composite components manufactured according to disclosed methods, and assemblies and larger structures comprising the composite material components.

Described herein are methods and systems for forming composite stringer assemblies or, more specifically, for shaping composite charges while forming these stringer assemblies. A system comprises a bladder, having a bladder core, and a bladder skin. The bladder core is formed from foam. The bladder skin is formed from an elastic material and encloses the bladder core. When a composite stringer assembly is formed, the bladder is positioned over a charge base. The charge base later becomes a stringer base, such as a fuselage section or a wing skin. A charge hat is then positioned over the bladder and is conformed to the bladder. A combination of the bladder skin and the bladder core provides support during this forming operation and later while the stringer assembly is cured. In some examples, the bladder core is collapsible for the removal of the bladder from the cavity of the stringer assembly.

A method for consolidating a thermoplastic component includes positioning a thermoplastic vacuum bagging film (e.g., PAEK or PEEK) over a thermoplastic preform (e.g., PPS or LM PAEK) to be consolidated, vacuum consolidating the thermoplastic component with the thermoplastic vacuum bagging film to form the thermoplastic component, and removing the thermoplastic vacuum bagging film from the consolidated thermoplastic component.

A stiffening element including at least a first stiffening profile and at least a second stiffening profile. The first stiffening profile includes a profile member. At least one structural flange is connected to the profile member. A through-passage extends through the profile member. At least one support flange is connected to the profile member. The second stiffening profile includes a bottom portion and at least one support side portion connected to the bottom portion. A method for manufacturing a stiffening element. A method for manufacturing a reinforced structure, where the reinforced structure includes at least one structural element and at least one stiffening element.

A tool for creating a self-stiffened panel, which comprises a support, a set of punches and a channel delimited between two punches, for each punch, a first securing arrangement including a slider that is able to move in translation on the support and at least one hook secured to the slider, and a second securing arrangement including at least one nose integral with the punch, and an actuating arrangement that moves the slider from a securing position in which each nose is located between the support and a hook, to a release position in which the hooks are offset with respect to the noses. With such a tool, each punch is held in position over its length, which ensures correct positioning during lay-up, even in the event of the tool being rotated.