A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A preform-charge fixture creates a preform charge, which is a partially consolidated assemblage of preforms that can be efficiently transferred to a mold to create a finished part in a molding process, such as compression molding. In the illustrative embodiment, the preform-charge fixture includes peripheral cleats that are movable towards a central cleat to create a small gap therebetween that receives and constrains preforms in a desired position. The fixture also includes clamps, which are operable to engage an uppermost layer of preforms in the gap and apply a slight amount of downward pressure thereto to assure that the preforms are properly seated. The fixture also accommodates an energy source that heats the preforms so that, in conjunction with downforce applied by the clamps and/or gravity, the preforms can be tacked together, forming the preform charge.

A preform-charge fixture creates a preform charge, which is a partially consolidated assemblage of preforms that can be efficiently transferred to a mold to create a finished part in a molding process, such as compression molding. In the illustrative embodiment, the preform-charge fixture includes peripheral cleats that are movable towards a central cleat to create a small gap therebetween that receives and constrains preforms in a desired position. The fixture also includes clamps, which are operable to engage an uppermost layer of preforms in the gap and apply a slight amount of downward pressure thereto to assure that the preforms are properly seated. The fixture also accommodates an energy source that heats the preforms so that, in conjunction with downforce applied by the clamps and/or gravity, the preforms can be tacked together, forming the preform charge.

Provided are: a pipe-shaped integrally molded article which is formed by molding a polyphenylene sulfide resin composition, and which has, at one or more portions thereof, at least one selected from different-shape sections, bent sections, and different-diameter sections, the pipe-shaped integrally molded article being characterized in that the total length L (mm) thereof is 1000 or more, and the ratio (L/D) of the total length L (mm) to the outer diameter D (mm) of the pipe-shaped integrally molded article is 20 or more: and a production method for the pipe-shaped integrally molded article. According to the present invention, it is possible to efficiently provide a pipe-shaped integrally molded article having a desired large length and including a three-dimensionally complicated shape, by using a PPS resin composition having excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

The present disclosure is directed to methods for joining rotor blade components using thermoplastic welding. The method includes arranging a first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component together at an interface, determining a size of a tolerance gap between the first and second components at the interface, placing a thermoplastic insert between the first and second components at the interface, the insert being larger than the tolerance gap, heating the insert and the first and second components such that the insert begins to flow so as to fill the tolerance gap between the first and second components, applying pressure to the interface such that the insert and the first and second blade components remain substantially in direct contact with each other at the interface, and welding the insert and the first and second components together at the interface, wherein the heat and the applied pressure between the insert and the first and second components at the interface maintain the insert and the first and second substantially in direct contact at the interface during welding.

There are provided a method of producing a laminate that is used to produce a fiber-reinforced composite material molded product having a complex shape, and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced composite material molded product having excellent appearance and mechanical characteristics and having a complex shape. The method of producing a laminate according to the present invention includes, in an assembly (50) having at least one selected from the group consisting of an abutment part in which ends of sheet-like prepregs are abutted so that side end surfaces come in contact with each other and an overlapping part in which ends of sheet-like prepregs overlap, laminating a sheet molding compound on at least a part of one or both of the abutment part and the overlapping part in an overlapping manner.

There are provided a method of producing a laminate that is used to produce a fiber-reinforced composite material molded product having a complex shape, and a method of producing a fiber-reinforced composite material molded product having excellent appearance and mechanical characteristics and having a complex shape. The method of producing a laminate according to the present invention includes, in an assembly (50) having at least one selected from the group consisting of an abutment part in which ends of sheet-like prepregs are abutted so that side end surfaces come in contact with each other and an overlapping part in which ends of sheet-like prepregs overlap, laminating a sheet molding compound on at least a part of one or both of the abutment part and the overlapping part in an overlapping manner.

The invention concerns a composite article, such as a mold part or an extrusion die, made of a composition comprising at least one polyarylether ketone and at least one thermally conductive filler, wherein the composite article has a thermal conductivity of at least 0.5 W/mK. The invention also concerns a composition and uses thereof.