A method of making a flexible pipe layer, which method comprises: commingling polymer filaments and carbon fibre filaments to form an intimate mixture, forming yarns of the commingled filaments, forming the yarns into a tape, and applying the tape to a pipe body to form a flexible pipe layer.

A nanofiber yarn placement system includes a yarn dispenser assembly, and a placement assembly. The placement assembly includes a compliant flange, and a guide connected to the compliant flange. The guide defining a channel. The channel includes at least one internal surface and at least one corner defined by the at least one internal surface.

A polar end ring mechanism for use with composite pressure vessels. The end ring is designed to support a pressure vessel during its formation via filament winding. The end ring helps define an opening at one of the polar ends of a tank. Spikes positioned along a portion of the end ring help prevent rotation or translation of the tank during formation and provide an improved mechanical lock with the tank body. A cap may then be secured to the polar end ring after formation in order to close the pressure vessel.

Methods for producing an annular casing for an aircraft turbine engine are provided. The annular casing includes an annular body made from a composite material based on a first resin, and a fire-resistant outer layer which covers an external annular surface of the body and which is made from a composite material based on a self-extinguishing second resin. The method includes preparing a strip of a glass fabric preimpregnated with said second resin, this strip including woven fibres oriented in directions that are perpendicular to one another and inclined by an angle of approximately 45° with respect to the axis of elongation of the strip, and applying the strip to the external surface of the body so as to cover the entirety of this surface in a single pass of the strip around the body.

Methods of making a composite article are provided herein. The method can include an unwinding step including unwinding a fiber substrate material from a creel at an unwinding velocity and an impregnation step including applying an uncured resin composition to the fiber substrate material to form a resin-fiber material. The method further includes a winding step comprising applying the resin-fiber material onto a shaped surface at a winding velocity and a solidifying step comprising applying heat to the resin-fiber material to initiate an exothermic reaction comprising polymerization, cross-linking, or both of the uncured resin composition. Temperature of the resin-fiber material can be monitored during operation of the method and a polymerization front velocity set point (v.sub.pfs) and an operating polymerization front velocity (v.sub.pfo) can be determined. Parameters can be adjusted to maintain a v.sub.pfo that is substantially the same as the v.sub.pfs. Systems for performing said methods are also provided.

Methods of making a composite article are provided herein. The method can include an unwinding step including unwinding a fiber substrate material from a creel at an unwinding velocity and an impregnation step including applying an uncured resin composition to the fiber substrate material to form a resin-fiber material. The method further includes a winding step comprising applying the resin-fiber material onto a shaped surface at a winding velocity and a solidifying step comprising applying heat to the resin-fiber material to initiate an exothermic reaction comprising polymerization, cross-linking, or both of the uncured resin composition. Temperature of the resin-fiber material can be monitored during operation of the method and a polymerization front velocity set point (v.sub.pfs) and an operating polymerization front velocity (v.sub.pfo) can be determined. Parameters can be adjusted to maintain a v.sub.pfo that is substantially the same as the v.sub.pfs. Systems for performing said methods are also provided.

A helical winding unit of a filament winding apparatus includes guide members guiding fiber bundles F to a liner, a movement mechanism moving the guide members, and a rotation mechanism rotating the guide members. Each of the guide members includes two side walls and guide portions fixed between the two side walls. As the guide portions, a first guide portion having a first guide surface and a second guide portion having a second guide surface and provided downstream of the first guide portion are provided. In the height direction, the first guide surface is oriented to one side. The second guide surface is oriented to the other side in the height direction and provided on the other side of the first guide surface.

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque between parts of a transmission shaft system comprises a tubular section of continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material which has been modified to form a living hinge section with reduced bending stiffness to allow flexion of the tubular section. The tubular section may be modified through the provision of a pattern of formations within the living hinge section. The formations may be in the form of apertures and/or recesses in the continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material to create a plurality of living hinges in the material between, in particular slots and/or grooves.

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque between parts of a transmission shaft system comprises a tubular section of continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material which has been modified to form a living hinge section with reduced bending stiffness to allow flexion of the tubular section. The tubular section may be modified through the provision of a pattern of formations within the living hinge section. The formations may be in the form of apertures and/or recesses in the continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material to create a plurality of living hinges in the material between, in particular slots and/or grooves.

In a filament winding apparatus, a supplying device supplies fiber bundles to a surface of a core material. A moving part is movable relative to the core material, and rotatable around a rotational axis extending in a vertical direction. A small diameter aligning guide part is placed at the moving part and has an opening portion through which the core material can pass. The small diameter aligning guide part guides fiber bundles to an outer peripheral surface of the core material such that the fiber bundles are arranged side by side in a circumferential direction of the core material. The tightening fiber bobbin supporting part is placed at the moving part and rotates around a center of the opening portion. A winding guide rotates with the tightening fiber bobbin supporting part and guides a tightening fiber bundle drawn from a tightening fiber bobbin toward the surface of the core material.