An end effector for handling a sheet of flexible material. The end effector includes a support frame and manipulator assemblies, each attached to the support frame by a support mount. The manipulator assemblies include a holding tool having a lifting surface. The manipulator assemblies include a linear actuator, and the holding tool is connected to the linear actuator by a multiaxial joint. A drive provides—the displacement of the holding tool by the linear actuator. The end effector includes resilient members each rigidly affixed to two adjacent holding tools and positioned in a space providing a mutual distance between opposing faces of the adjacent holding tools, where each holding tool is connected to—adjacent holding tools—by the resilient members. The resilient members are configured to non-permanently deform in the space when adjacent holding tools are displaced relative to each other along displacement axes.

A material is formed by dividing a fabric into pieces that are substantially parallelogon in shape, the fabric having multiple parallel fibres. The pieces are placed, for example, with a pick and place machine, adjacent to each other on a carrier veil with fibres of adjacent of the pieces in substantial alignment. The pieces are attached to the carrier veil to form the material, the material including the pieces and the carrier veil.

The present invention relates to a material system for 3D printing, to a 3D printing process using a lignin-containing component or derivatives thereof or modified lignins, to soluble moldings that are produced by a powder-based additive layer manufacturing process and to the use of the moldings.

The purpose of the present invention is to further enhance the strength of a manufactured composite structure by further suppressing the occurrence of wrinkling. A method for manufacturing a composite structure, the method comprising: a lamination step for layering a plurality of fiber sheets and molding a plate-form laminate; a forming step for forming a recess formed by a curved surface in a prescribed portion of the laminate; a short-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the short direction thereof after the forming step to configure a long-direction cross-section of the laminate in a prescribed shape; and a long-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the long direction after the forming step, so that the recess formed in the forming step deforms, to configure a short-direction cross section in a prescribed shape.

A method for the simultaneous production of two or more fiber composite components, to a fiber composite component, to a rotor blade of a wind power installation, as well as to a wind power installation. A method for the simultaneous production of two or more fiber composite components, in particular of two or more substantially identical fiber composite components which have a component contour, the method comprising providing at least one fibrous material, at least one planar separation element, and at least one matrix material, wherein the at least one planar separation element at least in portions is permeable to the matrix material; producing a semi-finished fibrous pack by disposing the fibrous material layer-by-layer so as to form semi-finished fibrous products stacked on top of one another, wherein at least one of the planar separation elements is in each case disposed between the semi-finish fibrous products; infusing the semi-finished fibrous pack with the matrix material; cutting the component contour into the infused semi-finished fibrous pack.

A method for the simultaneous production of two or more fiber composite components, to a fiber composite component, to a rotor blade of a wind power installation, as well as to a wind power installation. A method for the simultaneous production of two or more fiber composite components, in particular of two or more substantially identical fiber composite components which have a component contour, the method comprising providing at least one fibrous material, at least one planar separation element, and at least one matrix material, wherein the at least one planar separation element at least in portions is permeable to the matrix material; producing a semi-finished fibrous pack by disposing the fibrous material layer-by-layer so as to form semi-finished fibrous products stacked on top of one another, wherein at least one of the planar separation elements is in each case disposed between the semi-finish fibrous products; infusing the semi-finished fibrous pack with the matrix material; cutting the component contour into the infused semi-finished fibrous pack.

A method and apparatus (14) for assembling a reinforcement web (12) for use with a wind turbine blade (10) are provided. A pre-formed flange structure (20) to be integrated with laminate layers (58, 60) to form the reinforcement web (12) is clamped into position against a mould end surface (76) using one or more locating clamps (16). The locating clamps (16) include first and second clamp blocks (80, 82) that are shaped to provide an external profile that avoids resin collection and bridging during resin injection molding, while allowing for clamping to be applied to the flange structure (20) with an easily assembled and disassembled removable engagement of the clamp blocks (80, 82). The locating clamp (16) prevents undesirable dislodgment of the flange structure (20) during the assembly process for the reinforcement web (12), and without necessitating the use of complex or expensive molding equipment or processes.

A wind turbine rotor blade has a spar cap including conductive material, and a lightning conductor extending over the spar cap. There is a non-conductive layer between the lightning conductor and the spar cap. An equipotential bonding element electrically bonds the lightning conductor to the spar cap. The non-conductive layer is discontinuous to define a gap, and the equipotential bonding element extends through the gap.

A wind turbine rotor blade has a spar cap including conductive material, and a lightning conductor extending over the spar cap. There is a non-conductive layer between the lightning conductor and the spar cap. An equipotential bonding element electrically bonds the lightning conductor to the spar cap. The non-conductive layer is discontinuous to define a gap, and the equipotential bonding element extends through the gap.

A ball bat includes a continuous tape of fiber material wrapped around the longitudinal axis in a helix extending along the longitudinal axis. Interlaminar interfaces between adjacent turns of the tape are oriented obliquely relative to the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the ball bat includes a preform structure, the tape being wrapped around the preform structure. In some embodiments, the ball bat includes a flared element on the preform structure. An end of the continuous tape may be positioned on an angled surface of the flared element. An outer skin may be positioned over the tape. Methods of making ball bats may include attaching a first end of a fiber tape to a flared element on a preform structure or a mandrel and wrapping the fiber tape around the preform structure or mandrel in a helix extending along the longitudinal axis of the preform structure or mandrel.