Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that may be used to bond materials using thermoset and thermoplastic polymer materials arranged with a thermoplastic strike layer on a surface of the material. Apparatuses and methods are also disclosed for manufacturing and configuring catheters and other tubular devices with a bonding surface or layer. These apparatuses and devices may have a strike layer of thermoplastic polymer material that melts or softens upon application of heat and bonds to other polymer materials upon cooling, thus avoiding the use of externally-applied adhesives in the construction of a bond between two surfaces, such as between an inner surface of a tubular catheter and an outer surface of a tubular catheter tip.

A pipeline system is enclosed including unlined or plastic lined pipes. A mechanical metal to metal connection is employed that can provide a fluid tight seal. A pipe coupling may be employed to span the connection. Plastic lined pipes can have their plastic liners connected to form a fluid tight bladder. Electro fusion may be employed.

Devices, systems, and methods of improving paste flow during the manufacture of wind turbine blades are provided. An apparatus for applying adhesive to a composite structure (e.g. wind turbine blade) comprises a paste shoe having a top surface with an aperture to receive a supply of adhesive, and two legs extending downwardly from the top surface and configured to engage a surface of the composite structure to define an interior volume within the paste shoe. A transport mechanism (e.g. wheels, treads) are disposed on each leg to move the paste shoe relative to the composite structure while adhesive is dispensed within the interior volume. A force applicator, applies a force to the paste shoe to maintain a constant interior volume and thus a uniform bead of paste is applied to the composite structure.

The invention relates to the use of a low Tg compatible resin as an adhesive layer for the welding of a thermoplastic composite structure to a thermoplastic or thermoset structure. The invention is especially good for the welding of large parts, such as wind turbine halves and spar caps. A useful thermoplastic composite is one formed by the infusion and curing of long fibers by a reactive acrylic liquid resin system, such as ELIUM resin systems from Arkema.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating gap fillers for composite parts. One exemplary system includes a controller that acquires a geometry for a gap filler that will occupy a volume at a joint between laminates of curable constituent material, subdivides the geometry of the gap filler into layers, and for each layer: identifies variations in width of the layer along a length of the gap filler, and generates instructions for trimming a web of curable constituent material to match the variations in width of the layer. The system also includes rollers that dispense webs of the curable constituent material, trimmers that trim the webs of the curable constituent material based on the instructions, and compaction rollers that compact the trimmed webs together to fabricate the gap filler.

A method of manufacturing a tank comprises providing a covered liner by winding a fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin on a liner; and performing a heat curing process that cures the thermosetting resin by heating the covered liner in a heating furnace. The heat curing process comprises controlling the heating to prevent temperature of the thermosetting resin that is changed by the heating from exceeding a heat resistant temperature of the liner.

A pipeline system is enclosed including unlined or plastic lined pipes. A mechanical metal to metal connection is employed that can provide a fluid tight seal. A pipe coupling may be employed to span the connection. Plastic lined pipes can have their plastic liners connected to form a fluid tight bladder. Electro-fusion may be employed.

A method and apparatus is presented. A layer of composite material is laid up on a forming tool. A bend is formed in the layer on the forming tool to form a bent layer. A laminate stack and the bent layer are assembled to form the composite filler.

A wind turbine blade has an upper shell member and a lower shell member bonded at a leading and trailing edge of the blade with a bond paste applied between respective forward and rearward edges of the shell members. At least one of the shell members includes a first inspection window defined therein along one of the leading edge or trailing edge at a location corresponding at least to a design minimum bond width of the bond paste applied at the respective leading edge or trailing edge. The inspection window provides a visible access through the shell member such that a visible indication is generated through the inspection window when bond paste is injected and reaches the minimum bond width location in the chord-wise direction.

A device (20) for installing a tubular junction sleeve inside a pipe (1), having a mandrel (20a) of longitudinal axis (XX) supporting on its surface at least a first peripheral chamber (21) having a wall (21a) that is radially expandable by inflation. The first wall including at least one electrical connector (21b) suitable for being connected to one end of said heater wire. The connector being connected to an umbilical (24) including at least a compressed air feed duct for inflating said the first chamber and an electrical power supply duct connected to the electrical connector. The device being characterized in that the mandrel supports on its outer surface a second peripheral chamber (22) having a wall (22a) that is radially expandable by inflation, and also a weld inspection device (23) arranged in the longitudinal direction of the mandrel.