A fuselage structure of an aircraft includes a fuselage skin, and a plurality of frame elements spaced apart from one another in a direction parallel to the aircraft longitudinal axis for supporting the fuselage skin. The fuselage skin includes a plurality of interconnected fiber-reinforced composite skin panels that extend between each pair of frame elements and are connected thereto. The composite skin panels further comprise a stiffener integrally formed in each composite skin panel. A method for manufacturing the fuselage skin. The composite skin panels may be interconnected and/or connected to a frame element through an induction welded connection.

The present invention is directed to a packaging material free from aluminium in the form of a continuous foil or film, comprising a layer of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC), wherein the layer comprising MFC has been laminated or coated on at least one side with a heat-sealable material. The MFC layer contains at least 60% by weight of microfibrillated cellulose. The present invention is also directed to a method for induction sealing, wherein a packaging material to be heat-sealed by induction is placed against an induction heating surface.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling welding. One embodiment is a method for controlling welding. The method includes initiating induction welding by operating an induction coil along a weld interface of a first composite part comprising a matrix of thermoplastic reinforced by fibers, in order to join the first composite part to a second composite part, determining a measured magnetic field strength at a location distinct from the induction coil, and determining a welding temperature at the weld interface of the first composite part based on the measured magnetic field strength.

Systems and methods are provided for controlling welding. One embodiment is a method for controlling welding. The method includes initiating induction welding by operating an induction coil along a weld interface of a first composite part comprising a matrix of thermoplastic reinforced by fibers, in order to join the first composite part to a second composite part, determining a measured magnetic field strength at a location distinct from the induction coil, and determining a welding temperature at the weld interface of the first composite part based on the measured magnetic field strength.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, wherein the tiles are electrically non-conductive and have a thermal diffusivity of greater than about 25 mm2/sec. A joint flexibly joins the tiles together.

A method for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components, including jointly covering thermoplastic fiber composite components to be joined, at least in the region of a joining zone, with a pressurization arrangement, which is flexible, at least in some section or sections, and extensive pressurization of thermoplastic fiber composite components to be joined by the pressurization arrangement, with the result that the fiber composite components are pressed against one another, at least in the joining zone. The fiber composite components are welded in the joining zone during pressurization. The pressurization is maintained by the pressurization arrangement until the joining zone solidifies. A cover is also disclosed, in particular a mold or diaphragm, for a pressurization device for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components, and an apparatus for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components.

A method for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components, including jointly covering thermoplastic fiber composite components to be joined, at least in the region of a joining zone, with a pressurization arrangement, which is flexible, at least in some section or sections, and extensive pressurization of thermoplastic fiber composite components to be joined by the pressurization arrangement, with the result that the fiber composite components are pressed against one another, at least in the joining zone. The fiber composite components are welded in the joining zone during pressurization. The pressurization is maintained by the pressurization arrangement until the joining zone solidifies. A cover is also disclosed, in particular a mold or diaphragm, for a pressurization device for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components, and an apparatus for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components.

A compression load distributor includes a support layer and a heat spreading layer. The support layer includes a flexible carrier configured to distribute a load from a compression load applying device. The heat spreading layer is coupled to and carried on the support layer, the heat spreading layer comprising a heat sink configured to transfer heat throughout the compression load distributor. The heat sink is thermally conductive and electrically non-conductive.

A primer-attached thermoplastic resin material having a thermoplastic resin material and one or plural primer layers laminated on the thermoplastic resin material, wherein at least one layer of the primer layers is an in-situ polymerizable composition layer of an in-situ polymerizable composition polymerized on the thermoplastic resin material.

A method is provided for controlling an induction welding operation. The method includes sweeping electrical current through an induction welding coil at an initial position of the induction welding coil along a weld path of a material; monitoring a response of the material to the swept electrical current using at least one electromagnetic field (EMF) sensor; calibrating an electrical current value for the induction welding operation using the monitored response; and performing the induction welding operation along the weld path using the calibrated electrical current value.