An apparatus for manufacturing an annular or semi-annular composite component having a circumferentially-extending base and a flange, the apparatus including: a loom for weaving a woven preform of fibre reinforcement material for the composite component; a rotatable mandrel configured to receive and draw the woven preform through the loom for weaving; and a guide disposed between the loom and the rotatable mandrel, configured so that a woven preform drawn by the rotatable mandrel along a guide path under tension engages the guide to transition to a flanged profile at a lip of the guide before being received on the mandrel.

Disclosed herein are sterilized medical coiled tubing and process for producing the same. One process comprises: helically winding a length of medical tubing along a mandrel such that adjacent turns of the medical tubing are in contact with each other at tubing contact points; applying a UV adhesive to the tubing contact points to produce a medical coiled tubing; curing the tubing by applying UV light to the tubing contact points; and removing the medical tubing from the mandrel after the solvent has dried.

A method of manufacturing a fibre-reinforced polymer structure. The method comprises providing a tubular mandrel with a roughened outer surface having an average surface roughness of at least 2 m; applying one or more tows of continuous fibre to the roughened outer surface of the tubular mandrel under tension and introducing a polymer matrix resin either with or to the continuous fibre; and curing the polymer matrix resin to form a tubular fibre-reinforced polymer casing. The roughened outer surface of the tubular mandrel provides a high friction interface with the one or more tows of continuous fibre to mitigate slipping as the one or more tows of continuous fibre are applied to the tubular mandrel.

A method of manufacturing a split seal includes winding a fiber around a cylindrical mandrel to provide a hollow cylinder wound fiber form. The winding is conducted with a predetermined pitch with respect to an axis of rotation of the cylindrical mandrel, followed by consolidating the hollow cylinder wound fiber form with a matrix to provide a hollow cylinder composite form, followed by machining the hollow cylinder composite form to provide a split ring helical band that includes first and second end sections that are mateable. The fiber is continuous around the split ring helical band from the first end section to the second end section.

Systems and methods are directed to a pull-through winding method, and a manufacturing fixture, or mandrel, that guides the layup of material in the pull-through winding method, for fabrication of a three-dimensional load bearing structure. These systems and methods allow fibers of material of the 3D load bearing structure to be pulled as straight as possible during winding, and maintained as straight as possible during curing, to take full advantage of properties associated with the fiber or filament-based materials used in these structures, including, for example, carbon fiber material. The manufacturing fixture includes a plurality of pull-through slots at end portions thereof, that provide for the pulling of the fiber-based material, and the application and maintenance of tension in the material that maintains the alignment of the fibers as the material is wound, cured and hardened.