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.

Embodiments of the present disclosure are drawn to additive manufacturing apparatus and methods. An exemplary additive manufacturing method may include forming a part using additive manufacturing. The method may also include bringing the part to a first temperature, measuring the part along at least three axes at the first temperature, bringing the part to a second temperature, different than the first temperature, and measuring the part along the at least three axes at the second temperature. The method may further include comparing the size of the part at the first and second temperatures to calculate a coefficient of thermal expansion, generating a tool path that compensates for the coefficient of thermal expansion, bringing the part to the first temperature, and trimming the part while the part is at the first temperature using the tool path.

A bulk moulding compound comprising one or more cyanate ester, a catalyst, a filler and reinforcement fibres is provide, whereby the one or more cyanate ester is independently selected from a difunctional cyanate ester compound and/or a polyfunctional cyanate ester and mixtures of these cyanate esters. Furthermore, the catalyst is independently selected from the group consisting of 4,4′ methylene-bis(2,6-diethylaniline) (M-DEA), 4,4′-methylene-bis(3-chloro-2,6-diethyl¬aniline) (M-CDEA), aluminum(III)acetylacetonate, and mixtures thereof.

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 method of manufacturing a fiber reinforced composite material lid for an utility vault including mixing an unsaturated polyester thermosetting matrix in to a resin paste, compounding the resin paste into a fiber reinforced composite material, maturing the compounded fiber reinforced composite material, cutting the matured compound into a charge pattern, molding the charge pattern in a mold cavity of a heated mold under low pressure to form the lid and cooling and machining the lid. The mold includes a cavity die and a core die having a shear angle for interfacing the core die within the cavity die and a steam pot for heating the cavity die and the core die, wherein the lid is molded between the cavity die and the core die and removed from the mold by a lid ejection mechanism.

The present invention relates to a molding made of reactive foam, wherein at least one fiber (F) is arranged partially inside the molding, i.e. is surrounded by the reactive foam. The two ends of the respective fiber (F) not surrounded by the reactive foam thus each project from one side of the corresponding molding. The reactive foam is produced by a mold foaming process. The present invention further provides a panel comprising at least one such molding and at least one further layer (S1). The present invention further provides processes for producing the moldings according to the invention from reactive foam/the panels according to the invention and also provides for the use thereof as a rotor blade in wind turbines for example.

A molding process of a co-cured short-fiber resin-based damping composite material and a molding part. Different from a traditional centrifugal processing process of a thin-walled tube of a resin-based composite material, the process uses raw materials including three kinds of materials with different densities and including two kinds of short-fiber epoxy resin with different densities and a damping material. During centrifugal molding, the three kinds of materials are made into fluids to be respectively injected at a uniform speed in three times according to the sizes of the densities. Layering is performed by using different centrifugal forces applied to the three kinds of materials. Co-curing is performed according to a resin curing process after the three kinds of materials are stably distributed, and a tubular thin-walled part of the embedded co-cured short-fiber resin-based damping composite material with a uniform wall thickness is obtained.

A structural reinforcement for an article including a carrier that includes: (i) a mass of polymeric material having an outer surface; and (ii) at least one consolidated fibrous insert (14) having an outer surface and including at least one elongated fiber arrangement having a plurality of ordered fibers arranged in a predetermined manner. The fibrous insert is envisioned to adjoin the mass of the polymeric material in a predetermined location for carrying a predetermined load that is subjected upon the predetermined location (thereby effectively providing localized reinforcement to that predetermined location). The fibrous insert and the mass of polymeric material are of compatible materials, structures or both, for allowing the fibrous insert to be at least partially joined to the mass of the polymeric material. Disposed upon at least a portion of the carrier may be a mass of activatable material.

A piston for a heavy duty diesel engine including a composite layer forming at least a portion of a combustion surface is provided. The composite layer has a thickness greater than 500 microns and includes a mixture of components typically used to form brake pads, such as a thermoset resin, an insulating component, strengthening fibers, and an impact toughening additive. According to one example, the thermoset resin is a phenolic resin, the insulating component is a ceramic, the strengthening fibers are graphite, and the impact toughening additive is an aramid pulp of fibrillated chopped synthetic fibers. The composite layer also has a thermal conductivity of 0.8 to 5 W/m.Math.K. The body portion of the piston can include an undercut scroll thread to improve mechanical locking of the composite layer. The piston can also include a ceramic insert between the body portion and the composite layer.

A heated polymeric sheet material feeding process. The process may include heating a polymeric sheet in a heating zone to a forming temperature to form a heated polymeric sheet material. The process may further include transferring, while under a feeding vacuum range, the heated polymeric sheet from the heating zone to feed the heated polymeric sheet material into a forming zone under the feeding vacuum range.