Systems and methods are provided for thermal inspection of tape layup. One embodiment is a method for performing inspection of a tape layup. The method comprises laying up tape onto a surface of a laminate, applying heat to tack the tape to the surface, and generating thermographic images of the tape as applied to the surface.

A forming tool is used, which has a tool trough arranged in a stationary manner and a pressure bell, which can be lowered onto and lifted away from the tool trough. An arrangement is created in which a single- or multi-layer, initially flat, flexible laminate separates the trough interior from the pressure-bell interior in a pressure tight manner. A table, on which the 3-D substrate to be coated is located, assumes a lowered position within the trough interior; there is a considerable, free intermediate space (between the laminate and the 3-D substrate. A radiant-heater assembly is inserted into said intermediate space. The radiant-heater assembly has a carrier, on the top side of which radiant heaters that can be activated are attached and on the bottom side of which radiant heaters that can be activated are attached.

A welding apparatus for a fibre reinforced resin based material comprises an elongate flexible heat conductive strip and an elongate heat sink extending around at least a portion of the perimeter of the conductive strip. The elongate heat sink is divided into a plurality of segments wherein adjacent segments can move relative to one another.

This specification discloses an article of manufacture. The article of manufacture has at least one structural blank and at least one guide. The structural blank has a plurality of oriented fiber plies in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide has a plurality of random dispersed fibers in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide is affixed to the structural blank by injection molding and over molding the guide onto the structural blank. The article of manufacture can take a number of forms for use in industries such as aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, trains or watercraft.

Mechanical connection for panels at their edge sides (5, 10) which are to be connected to one another, wherein adjacent first and second panels (1, 2) can be locked in the horizontal and vertical direction by a substantially perpendicular joining movement, wherein, for vertical locking, a locking edge (8) is arranged on the first panel (1) and a locking element (6), which can be displaced relative to the panels (1, 2), is arranged on the second panel (2), which locking element can be displaced behind the locking edge (8) by a pivoting movement. The locking element (6) has a locking projection (17) for displacing behind the locking edge (8) and an arcuate guide arm (16) which is guided in a guide groove (7) of the second panel (2) and is designed to be partially withdrawn from the guide groove (7) with a rotary or pivoting movement of the locking element by virtue of a leg (18), which projects from the guide groove (7), of the locking element (6) coming into contact with the first panel (1) when being set down in a region below the locking edge (8).

A vehicle lamp includes a lamp housing having an inner space and a welding surface, and a cover disposed adjacent to another vehicle lamp, and configured to cover the inner space and join to the lamp housing by laser welding. The cover includes a design surface in which an outer surface of an outer peripheral portion is formed as a curved surface and a welding leg that protrudes from a portion near the outer peripheral portion in the design surface. An annular portion on an inner peripheral side of the curved surface on an outer surface of the design surface is formed as a laser light incident surface. The curved surface is positioned on an outer peripheral side from an intersection point of a virtual line and the outer surface of the design.

An assembly of two parts, one of the parts being made of composite material with fiber reinforcement obtained from a fiber preform made by three-dimensional weaving and densified with a matrix, the assembly including a mechanical anchor element secured to one of the parts and inserted inside the other part.

A repair patch includes a composite material to repair a a repair target of a composite material. The repair patch includes bonding surfaces which face a bonded surface of a counterbored hole formed in the part to be repaired, and are bonded to the counterbored hole; and an opposite surface opposite to the bonding surfaces in a thickness direction. The opposite surface has a curved plane with a first surface side curvature radius protruding toward the opposite surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the opposite surface. The bonded surface has a curved plane with a second surface side curvature radius protruding toward the bonding surfaces facing the bonded surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the bonded surface. The first surface side curvature radius is smaller than the second surface side curvature radius.

A resin-made fuel tank includes: a resin-made fuel tank main body provided by joining an upper half and a lower half; a barrier sheet layer that is provided on an inner surface of the fuel tank main body and that reduces permeation of a fuel from the fuel tank main body; and a front mounting stay and rear mounting stays for mounting the fuel tank main body to a vehicle body. The front mounting stay and the rear mounting stays are provided on the fuel tank main body at positions vertically spaced from an upper joint surface and a lower joint surface at which the upper half and the lower half re joined to each other.

A cover for a housing of a vehicle and a method of sealing a cover to the housing, where in at least one example, the cover comprises a cover body configured to cover an opening of the housing and to engage the housing at an interface around the opening. The cover may comprise a heating element embedded within the cover body and operable to at least partially melt a portion of the cover body as a part of a process for sealing the cover to the housing. The portion of the cover body may deform and conform to an interface feature at the mating surface of the housing due to the at least partial melting of the portion of the cover body, and, in some examples, the heating element may be configured to fail and be inoperable.