A method of manufacturing at least one structural panel (20) for an engineering structure comprises conveying a layered structure (40) through a roller assembly comprising at least one pair of heating rollers (50) and at least one pair of cooling rollers (52), where the cooling rollers are at a lower temperature than the heating rollers. The layer structure comprises a thermoplastic foam layer 24 and at least one skin layer (22). The heating rollers 0 heat the skin layer (22) to melt at least part of the foam layer (24) adjacent to the skin layer (22) and bond the foam layer (24) to the skin (22). The cooling rollers (52) cool the layered structure (40) so that the thermoplastic resolidifies, retaining its bond with the skin to form the bonded panel (20). This approach greatly reduces manufacturing costs for structural panels.

A component, including a part, comprising a honeycomb-like structure formed from at least a seamless resin-infused fiber composite material. The honeycomb-like structure includes a first plurality of honeycomb-like cells, and a second plurality of honeycomb-like cells, different than the first plurality of honeycomb-like cells.

A composite panel is constructed by preparing a panel assembly layup including a first prepreg layer having reinforcement material, a first layer of a resin formulation upon a first outer surface, and a second layer of the resin formulation upon an opposing outer surface, where the first layer is thinner than the second layer, and the first layer is presented toward a mold. The layup includes a core layer directly abutting the second layer. They layup includes a second prepreg layer having a first layer of the resin formulation upon a first outer surface, and a second layer of the resin formulation upon an opposing outer surface, where the first layer is thinner than the second layer, and the second layer directly abuts the core layer. The panel assembly is cured in the mold.

A composite sandwich panel comprises a first composite skin, a second composite skin, a hollow cell core between the first composite skin and the second composite skin, and a first over-crush edge region with a first edge. The first edge has a first thickness at least 40% less than a nominal thickness of the composite sandwich panel. The first over-crush edge region has a length of at least 0.25 inches over which a thickness of the composite sandwich panel decreases.

Freeform, additive manufacturing equipment, processes and products, including residential, commercial and other buildings. A movable extruder places extrudate that solidifies in open space to create scaffolding or skeletons of buildings and other products. Elongated extrudate elements are fused to each other or connected by other means to form a cellular structure. Filler material such as polymeric insulating foam may simultaneously or thereafter be placed within the cellular structure to contribute desired strength, rigidity, insulative, barrier or other properties. Finish materials may also be applied.

The present invention sufficiently heats a repairing material while preventing change in quality of a base material provided with the repairing material so as to securely bond the repairing material to a repair target portion. The repair method of the present invention, in order to repair a repair target portion 14 existing in an outer panel 1, includes: a repairing material disposing step of disposing a repairing patch 21 including a resistance heating element 23 and a carbon fiber reinforced resin, and an adhesive 22A including a thermosetting resin before being hardened for bonding the repairing patch 21 on the repair target portion 14; and a heating-hardening step of heating and hardening the thermosetting resin of the adhesive 22A by causing the resistance heating element 23 to generate heat through supply of electricity thereto.

A method of fastening an edge structure to a construction element includes providing the construction element, being a planar structure with two cover regions and a middle region between the cover regions; providing the edge structure being continuously extended, the edge structure having contact surfaces with a thermoplastic material shaped to lie against the cover regions in an outer surface of the construction element, and, opposite the contact surfaces, a coupling-in surface for coupling energy into the edge structure; coupling energy into the edge structure and pressing the contact surfaces against the cover regions until at least a portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and pressed into the cover regions; and repeating or continuing the steps of coupling and pressing until the edge structure is attached to the building element at a plurality of discrete locations or over an extended region along an edge of the construction element.

A resin body includes: a core member including an internal structure and a planar structure covering the internal structure; and a resin face material containing resin and joined so as to cover a surface of the planar structure on an opposite side to a side where the planar structure covers the internal structure.

A method of anchoring a connector in a first object includes providing the connector, the connector having a liquefiable material that is liquefiable by mechanical vibration, such as a thermoplastic material, bringing the connector into contact with low density layer that has an arrangement of discrete elements and gas-filled (empty) spaces between the discrete elements, pressing the connector against the low density layer and coupling mechanical vibration energy into the connector to cause the connector to penetrate into the low density layer to deform the discrete elements, until a flow portion of the liquefiable material becomes flowable and is caused to interpenetrate spaces between the deformed discrete elements so that an intertwined structure of the liquefiable material and the deformed discrete elements results, and stopping the mechanical vibration energy and causing the flow portion to re-solidify to anchor the connector in the low density layer.

Provided are splices, comprising honeycomb cores and adhesive layers with tie clips supporting the honeycomb cores. Also provided are methods of forming such splices. Each tie clip includes two legs and a bridging portion joining the legs. When forming a splice, an adhesive layer is positioned between two honeycomb cores. One leg of the tie clip is inserted into the full cell of one honeycomb core, while the other leg is inserted into the full cell of the other honeycomb core. The bridging portion extends across the adhesive layer. While curing the adhesive layer, the tie clip supports the honeycomb cores with respect to each other and maintains their orientation. The tie clip becomes a part of the splice. The tie clip may be buried in the honeycomb cores without extending above the first face of the splice.