Disclosed are a mould system and a clamping tong for securing a mould item part in a mould of a mould system. The clamping tong comprises: a primary tong segment comprising a primary clamping surface for applying clamping pressure on a clamping portion of a mould item part; a secondary tong segment coupled to the primary tong segment and comprising a secondary clamping surface for applying clamping pressure on a clamping portion of the mould. The clamping tong being configured to change between a clamping state and a release state, wherein the distance between the primary clamping surface and the secondary clamping surface in the clamping state is shorter than the distance between the primary clamping surface and the secondary clamping surface in the release state.

A three-dimensional fibrous preform of a fan blade includes a blade root and a blade airfoil between the blade root and a free end of the preform. The airfoil has an area with two skins and a longitudinal stiffener between the skins and, in a transverse plane, transverse yarns of the skins woven in pairs in the first and in the second skin either side of the stiffener, the yarns of a first pair of the first skin are separated into two unit yarns at the stiffener, the unit yarns being woven separately with longitudinal yarns, the yarns of a second pair of the second skin are separated into two unit yarns at the stiffener, the yarns being woven separately with longitudinal yarns, and a yarn of each pair cross over each other twice in the stiffener.

A process for manufacturing a blade made of composite material for a turbomachine is provided. The blade includes an airfoil having a pressure side and a suction side which extend from a leading edge to a trailing edge of the airfoil. The blade further includes a metal sheath that extends along the leading edge of the airfoil. The process includes the steps of: a) placing a preform, made by three-dimensionally weaving fibers, in a mold, a polymerizable adhesive being inserted between the sheath and the edge of the preform; and b) injecting polymerizable resin into the mold to impregnate the preform so as to form the airfoil after solidifying, wherein the resin is injected within a time interval during which the adhesive reaches a freezing point.

A bond assembly includes a fixture having a first section movably coupled to a second section. The first section and the second section are disposed opposite one another. A bladder assembly is mounted to at least one of the first section and the second section. The bladder assembly is configured to apply controlled, localized pressure and heat to a component receivable between the first section and the second section.

A composite airfoil is disclosed. In various embodiments, a composite airfoil as disclosed herein includes an outer skin comprising one or more layers of carbon fiber composite material, the outer skin defining an aerodynamic surface having a leading edge; and a reinforcement material comprising a roll of fiberglass reinforced fabric positioned behind the outer skin along at least a portion of the leading edge.

A method for manufacturing a blade in composite material with added metal leading edge for gas turbine aeroengine, the method including producing a batch of plurality of blade bodies in composite material; creating a digital model of a blade body from a blade in the batch of plurality of blade bodies; creating a digital model of a theoretical final blade including a leading edge; generating a digital model of a leading edge from the digital model of a blade body and final blade model; manufacturing at least one leading edge via additive manufacturing from the generated leading edge digital model; bonding each manufactured leading edge onto a blade body from the batch of plurality of blade bodies.

A method of repairing a composite blade. The composite blade includes a metal work bonded to a composite part through an adhesive layer. The method includes determining a locally damaged portion of the metal work, and removing a bullet portion corresponding to the locally damaged portion. The method further includes detaching, debonding, and removing a first wing portion from the composite part to obtain a first exposed surface portion. The method further includes detaching, debonding, and removing a second wing portion from the composite part to obtain a second exposed surface portion. The method further includes reconditioning the first and second exposed surface portions to obtain first and second reconditioned surface portions, respectively, and applying first and second adhesive layers to the first and second reconditioned surface portions respectively. The method further includes bonding a metal work patch to the first and second adhesive layers.

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.

The present invention relates to a fan blade (3) having a structure made from a composite material, comprising a fibrous reinforcement (5), which is obtained by three-dimensional weaving of warp strands and weft strands, and a matrix in which the fibrous reinforcement (5) is embedded, wherein—the fibrous reinforcement (5) comprises a first portion (14) forming the trailing edge (9) of the structure made from a composite material and a second portion (15) forming its leading edge (8), and wherein—the warp strands of the fibrous reinforcement (5) comprise first strands (12) having a predetermined stiffness and second strands (13) having a greater stiffness than that of the first strands (12), the first portion (14) comprising all or part of the first strands (12) and being devoid of second strands (13) while the second portion (15) comprises all or part of the second strands (13).

Fibrous preform for a composite blade and also a composite blade formed by means of such a preform, a rotor and a rotating machine comprising such a blade, the preform comprising a first longitudinal section, configured to form a blade root, and a second longitudinal section, extending from the first longitudinal section, configured to form a portion of an airfoil, wherein the first longitudinal section has a first thickness at its upper end and wherein the second longitudinal section comprises at least one set-back zone having a thickness at least three times less than the first thickness, said set-back zone occupying at least 50% of the second longitudinal section.