An apparatus for receiving a baking mold and holding the baking mold in a desired position for baking. For a baking mold that is held together by a seal that extends around the edges of the mold, the apparatus includes a slot or trough that bisects the top of the apparatus and receives the seal within the trough. Other embodiments include receptors for protrusions from the baking mold and others include a rim that the baking mold sits over.

A method of manufacturing a flanged composite component is provided. The method includes coupling a composite structure to s first composite material. The method includes coupling a second composite material to the composite structure and placing a first expansion device within the composite structure. A forming element is coupled to at least one of the first composite material, the composite structure, and the second composite material against the mold. The method includes coupling a pressure element to the forming element to define a space among the mold, the forming element, and the pressure element. The method includes expanding the first expansion device to impart a force to the second composite material to move the second composite material away from the composite structure and into the space to facilitate forming a first flange.

Lightweight and strong components may be manufactured using self-skinning foam material compositions by the processes described herein. One or more mandrels may be inserted into a molding tool, and a self-skinning foam material composition may be injected into the molding tool. After closing the molding tool, the self-skinning foam material composition may expand and cure to form a component, and one or more skins may be formed on exterior and/or interior surfaces of the component. For example, an external skin may be formed on an exterior surface of the component in contact with surfaces of the molding tool, and one or more internal skins may be formed on one or more interior surfaces of negative space spars of the component in contact with surfaces of the one or more mandrels.

Lightweight and strong components may be manufactured using foam material compositions and resin coating materials by the processes described herein. One or more mandrels and/or a molding tool may be coated with resin coatings, the one or more mandrels may be inserted into the molding tool, and a foam material composition may be injected into the molding tool. After closing the molding tool, the foam material composition may expand and cure to form a component, and heat may be applied to cure the resin coatings into skins. For example, an external skin may be formed by the resin coatings on an exterior surface of the component in contact with surfaces of the molding tool, and one or more internal skins may be formed by the resin coatings on one or more interior surfaces of negative space spars of the component in contact with surfaces of the one or more mandrels.

The present invention describes a method (600, 600a) of forming bitumen bags (605) for packaging bitumen products into blocks or slabs. Each block/slab of bitumen (200,200a,200b,200c) is encapsulated in the bitumen bag, which is composed of a bitumen compound (160). The bitumen compound (160) is made up of about 10-30% by weight of natural bitumen and about 5-25% by weight of a synthetic rubber polymer and copolymers. The bitumen compound (160) is melted with the bitumen content and is fully miscible with the molten bitumen, leaving no residue but enhances the physical properties of the resultant bitumen mixture.

A column or other elongate molded part is molded using an elongate tubular mold having a closed end, an open end and a flexible sidewall. After the column or other molded part is formed, it is extracted from the mold by pulling the column or other molded part axially through the open end of the mold. The column may be extracted using an expandable plug or gripper that is inserted into the interior of the column or other molded part through the open end of the mold. The expandable plug or gripper is expanded to engage an inner surface of the elongate molded part.

Within examples, a mandrel is configured to be inserted into a cavity defined by an interior wall of a structural member to support the structural member during processing. The mandrel includes a first bladder containing a material, the material being capable of exhibiting granular jamming when air is removed from the first bladder. The mandrel further includes a second bladder configured to expand and apply a force to the first bladder. Systems and methods that relate to the mandrel are also described within examples.

An in-tool system for compacting an out-of-plane feature of a composite structure. The in-tool system comprises a cavity formed in a tool, a stiffener preform, and an insert. The cavity has an angled surface. The stiffener preform includes an out-of-plane feature, where the out-of-plane feature has a compaction surface. The insert comprises a first face complementary to the angled surface of the cavity and a second face complementary to the compaction surface of the out-of-plane feature. The first face is opposite the second face.

A method for manufacturing hollow composite material turbomachine part, includes producing a fibrous blank in one piece by three-dimensional weaving of yarns, the blank including at least one de-bonded zone forming an internal cavity, inserting a shaping part into the internal cavity of the fibrous blank in order to obtain a preform, densification of the preform by a matrix in order to obtain a structure having a fibrous reinforcement consisting of the preform densified by the matrix, wherein the shaping part is flexible and wherein the shaping part is mechanically withdrawn from the structure after the densification.

A method for manufacturing hollow composite material turbomachine part, includes producing a fibrous blank in one piece by three-dimensional weaving of yarns, the blank including at least one de-bonded zone forming an internal cavity, inserting a shaping part into the internal cavity of the fibrous blank in order to obtain a preform, densification of the preform by a matrix in order to obtain a structure having a fibrous reinforcement consisting of the preform densified by the matrix, wherein the shaping part is flexible and wherein the shaping part is mechanically withdrawn from the structure after the densification.