A method for manufacturing a composite product includes folding a first layer of material to create a first folded layer having a first and a second superposed portion extending from a respective first and second free end to a first bend, folding a second layer of material in order to create a second folded layer having a third and a fourth superposed portion extending from a respective third and fourth free end to a second bend, laying the first folded layer over a first element with the first portion in contact with the first element, laying the second folded layer over the first folded layer laying a second element over the second folded layer, compressing the plurality of the fiber layers by either vacuum or gravity, pulling two free ends of the first folded layer and of the second folded layer in order to let them contact each other.

A method for fabricating a composite material assembly includes: a) providing an assembly system, b) laying down a first module on a first mold, the first module comprising a first laminate covering a first laminate support structure, c) laying down a second module on a second mold, the second module comprising a second laminate covering a second laminate support structure and extending over the at least one removable insert, d) removing the at least one removable insert from the second mold, and e) assembling the first mold with the second mold while overlapping a section of the second laminate extending over the at least one removable insert over the first laminate.

A method of manufacturing a wind turbine blade using pre-fabricated stacks of reinforcing material is described. The stacks 14 comprise a plurality of plies of fiber material, joined together along a side edge to form a spine. The opposite edges of the stack are left unjoined so that the plies can separate and slide across one another. In doing so, the stacks can be stored flat, but on installation into a curved mold 12 profile, the plies may slide to adopt the curved shape of the mold. The stacks extend from a point near the leading or trailing edge of the mold to an intermediate point on the mold surface. The stacks may be used to construct the thickened root section of a wind turbine blade.

Provided is a conveyor for conveying a tire component, in particular a tread for retreading, wherein the conveyor includes a support surface that extends in a direction of conveyance to support the tire component during conveyance in the direction of conveyance, wherein the support surface is provided with a surface structure that is arranged to contact seventy-five percent or less than seventy-five percent of the downwardly facing surface area of the tire component, wherein the support surface is arranged to be held stationary during conveyance of the tire component and wherein the conveyor is provided with one or more manipulators to manipulate the position of the tire component on the stationary support surface by sliding the tire component over the stationary support surface.

A system and method for fabricating a composite material assembly. The components of the assembly originate from more than one mold while providing curing or solidifying under heat and vacuum in one step only, preferably with a composite material in a pre-preg form which does not require autoclave treatment. A removable insert is removed from a second mold prior to assembly of a first mold to the second mold. A section of a laminate extending over the removable insert overlaps over an adjacent laminate after closing and assembly of the first mold onto the second mold.

Methods of and systems for assembling stiffened composite structures are disclosed. Some methods include forming a stiffener assembly by compacting it within a trough formed in a trunnion. A single trunnion may accommodate two or more different types of stiffeners, thereby avoiding the need for multiple sets of tooling. In some methods, a plurality of stiffener segments may be spliced together, thereby avoiding the need to transport and handle an entire stiffener. A vacuum chuck may be utilized in some examples to transfer the stiffener assembly from the trunnion to a transfer tool. The same vacuum chuck may be transferred along with the stiffener assembly on the transfer tool and loaded onto an inner mold line layup mandrel, where the vacuum chuck may be used to compact the stiffener assembly to the inner mold line layup mandrel.

A device and to a method for the production of essentially two-dimensionally arched large-area structural components from a fiber composite material, including a jig having a convex mounting surface which has longitudinally extending receiving channels for the insertion of construction components and which can be loaded with auxiliary materials, wherein the loaded jig interacts with a laminating bonding device having a corresponding shape for forming the structural component under pressure, wherein the jig includes a mounting shell that at the edge can be elastically deformed inwards, which mounting shell, by way of a plurality of actuators that are articulated to the inside, can be moved between an extended position (A) and at least one retracted position (B) in which the jig can be moved relative to the longitudinally extending receiving channels from the laminating bonding device without undercuts.

End of arm tooling system and a method for manufacture is provided. The end or arm tooling system provides automated material handling, part manipulation, preforming and transferring of a pre-impregnated carbon fiber material. A robot is connected to end of arm tooling for automated material handling and transfer operations from at least a lower preform tool system where light compression is applied to a molding press. The end or arm tooling system includes a cured silicone membrane as well as vacuum and air blow off, allowing for robotically preforming, picking up and dropping-off pre-impregnated carbon fiber materials which are notoriously sticky and difficult to handle.

To provide a molding-material supplying mechanism and a molding apparatus capable of improving a volume occupancy ratio of a molding material.

A cassette 61 (a molding-material supplying mechanism) includes a tape-like molding material 10 having a rectangular shape in section and a bobbin 616 (a winding core) on which the molding material 10 is wound. In sectional view orthogonal to a rotation axis of the bobbin 616 (the winding core), the molding material 10 is wound on the bobbin 616 (the winding core) in a concentric shape centering on the rotation axis.

An apparatus and a method for conveying preforms, to a blow molding machine. The apparatus includes a conveying device which conveys preforms away from a supply of preforms, a feeding device that receives preforms from the conveying device, and a sorting device that sorts the preforms and conveys them in a direction of travel. The conveying device ends above the sorting device. The inlet end of the feeding device has a holding zone which the preforms reach as they arrive from the conveying device, and the discharge end of the feeding device has a transfer zone via which the preforms reach the sorting device. The feeding device has an orienting zone with an orienting device designed so that the flow of preforms is oriented in the direction of the flow of the preforms in the sorting device (direction of travel), and the oriented preforms run through the transfer zone.