A method of producing thermoplastic resin composite material in which a main base material containing thermoplastic resin and a sheet-like shaped auxiliary base material are integrally molded and are made into composite material. The production method includes the steps of: heating the auxiliary base material (step S1); disposing the heated auxiliary base material in a mold (step S2); disposing the main base material in the mold via the auxiliary base material (step S3); closing the mold, and pressing together and integrally molding the auxiliary base material and the main base material (step S4); and taking out the integrally-molded thermoplastic resin composite material from the mold.

A forming apparatus includes a frame. The frame defines a vertical axis, a horizontal axis, and a longitudinal axis. A carriage is movably connected to the frame. A stomp foot is movably connected to the carriage such that it may move along the vertical axis. A first end effector is movably connected to the carriage and a second end effector movably connected to the carriage. The first end effector and second end effector are laterally opposed to each other along the longitudinal axis and the stomp foot is located between the first end effector and the second end effector.

Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

A method for rapid manufacturing of three dimensional discontinuous fiber preforms is provided. The method includes the deposition of a polymeric material containing fibers on a surface to form a tailored charge for compression molding. The reinforced polymeric material may be a thermoplastic or a reactive polymer with viscosity low enough to allow flow through an orifice during deposition, yet high enough zero shear viscosity to retain the approximate shape of the deposited charge. The material can be deposited in a predetermined pattern to induce the desired mechanical properties through alignment of the fibers. This deposition can be performed in a single layer or in multiple layers. The alignment is achieved passively by shear alignment of the fibers or actively through fiber orientation control or mixing. The fibers can be of the desired material, length, and morphology, including short and long filaments.

Method and device for manufacturing a profile member of composite material, the cross-section of which has three branches, including the steps of: —moving together two opposite edges of a panel (2) of sheet material in such a manner that these two opposite edges are juxtapositioned in one juxtapositioning direction; translating a pair of jaws (20) in a direction perpendicular to the juxta-positioning direction in such a manner that the pair of jaws (20) is positioned on either side of the opposite juxtapositioned edges, this translational movement of the pair of jaws (20) being carried out in the direction of a base (25); —simultaneously pressing the sheet material between the two jaws (20), on the one hand, and between the jaws (20) and the base (25), on the other hand; —finishing the profile member of composite material by hardening with a matrix with which the sheet material is impregnated.

Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

Methods, systems, and robots for multi-layer prepreg composite sheet layup. The robotic system may include a memory for storing a dataset including start and end point pairs of a mold of a 3D part that defines a layup sequence, a first robot or a first robot arm that is configured to conform a prepreg layer or sheet onto the mold of the 3D part, and a second robot or a second robot arm that is configured to hold or grasp the prepreg layer or sheet above the mold of the 3D part and stretch or relax the prepreg layer or sheet when the first robot or the first robot arm conforms the prepreg layer or sheet onto the mold. The robotic system may also include one or more processors connected to the first robot or the first robot arm and the second robot or the second robot arm.

Systems and methods are provided for vacuum handling of composite parts. One embodiment is a method for picking up, placing, and compacting an object. The method includes covering a part of an object with an impermeable membrane, applying a negative pressure via an end effector that is sufficient to offset any air leaks between a first portion of the impermeable membrane and the object, thereby forming a suction hold that secures the object to the impermeable membrane, and transporting the object to a rigid tool while the suction hold is retained. The method further comprises applying a negative pressure via the end effector that offsets air leaks between a second portion of the impermeable membrane and the rigid tool, thereby forming a suction hold that compacts the object to the rigid tool.

A system and a method for manufacturing laminated composite components is described. The system may include a cutting station configured to separate component layers from a ply of composition material according to a predefined pattern, a build station configured to stack the component layers according to a predetermined orientation, and a finishing station configured to compact the stacked component layers and provide the laminated composite component to an installation station.

The present invention relates to a moulding assembly (100) for manufacturing a shell part of a wind turbine blade, and to methods of manufacturing a shell part of a wind turbine blade using the moulding assembly. The moulding assembly (100) comprises a blade mould (96) with a moulding cavity (97), a gripping device (76) for releasably engaging a preform (98) for the shell part, and a lifting device (102). The lifting device comprises a first hoisting device (104a) and a second hoisting device (104b), each of the first and second hoisting devices comprising a respective load engaging member (110a, 110b) for connecting the first and the second hoisting devices (104a, 104b) to the gripping device.