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.

Techniques for inlaying a composite material within a tooling shell are disclosed. In one aspect, an additively manufactured tooling shell is provided, into which a composite material is inlaid and cured. A surface of the tooling shell is provided with indentations or another mechanism to enable adherence between the composite material and the tooling shell. The resulting integrated structure is used as a component in a transport structure.

Techniques for inlaying a composite material within a tooling shell are disclosed. In one aspect, an additively manufactured tooling shell is provided, into which a composite material is inlaid and cured. A surface of the tooling shell is provided with indentations or another mechanism to enable adherence between the composite material and the tooling shell. The resulting integrated structure is used as a component in a transport structure.

An octogrid structure and method of forming the same for a composite laminate structure is provided. The octogrid sub-structure comprises: a first ply layer comprising a plurality of first elongate tapes oriented in a first direction and a plurality of second elongate tapes oriented in a second direction; and a second ply layer comprising a plurality of third elongate tapes oriented in the first direction and a plurality of fourth elongate tapes oriented in the second direction, the second ply layer being overlaid atop the first ply layer. A first end of each of the elongate tapes is positioned approximately adjacent a midpoint of an adjacently positioned one of the elongate tapes; and a second and opposing end of each of elongate tapes extends freely beyond a central grid portion defined by a length of a portion between the first end and the midpoint of the elongate tapes.

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

A composite hat stringer for stiffening a panel includes a plurality of composite fabric plies arranged to form a cap, a pair of flanges and a pair of webs respectively connecting the cap with the pair of flanges. The cap includes at least one 0° composite tape ply interleafed in the composite fabric plies within the cap.

A system includes a U-shaped chute, one or more feeder mechanisms, a sock application assembly, and a film application assembly. The chute has a chute inlet and a chute outlet and is configured to receive a mandrel having a mandrel length. The one or more feeder mechanisms are configured to move the mandrel into the chute inlet and through the chute. The sock application assembly has a sock material spool containing a breather sock in tubular form. The sock application assembly is configured to progressively apply the breather sock over the mandrel length as the mandrel exits the chute outlet. The film application assembly has a film material spool containing a film in tubular form. The film application assembly is configured to progressively apply the film over the breather sock covering the mandrel exiting the sock application assembly to thereby form a film-sock-mandrel assembly.

A method for manufacturing a composite barrel structure includes fabricating a first plurality of composite panels that are assemblable into a first partial composite barrel section. The fabricating includes assembling a first layup of composite material and, concurrently, assembling at least one additional layup. The fabricating further includes heating the first layup with the at least one additional layup. A system for fabricating a plurality of panels that are assemblable into partial barrel sections includes a first workstation for fabricating a first plurality of composite panels that are assemblable into a first partial composite barrel section. The first workstation includes a first assembly station configured to concurrently assemble a first layup of composite material and at least one additional layup and a first heating station configured to heat the first layup concurrently with the at least one additional layup to yield the first plurality of composite panels.

A method of fabricating a composite material, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, b) providing an array of thermoplastic islands across at least a proportion of a major surface of the first layer, c) providing a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, d) laying the second layer over at least some of the islands, and e) securing the first and second layers together. There is also disclosed a composite which comprises a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer and a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, between which is an intervening layer comprising an array of thermoplastic islands.

A method of fabricating a composite material, the method comprises the steps of a) providing a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, b) providing an array of thermoplastic islands across at least a proportion of a major surface of the first layer, c) providing a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, preferably a thermoset FRP, d) laying the second layer over at least some of the islands, and e) securing the first and second layers together. There is also disclosed a composite which comprises a first layer of a fibre reinforced polymer and a second layer of a fibre reinforced polymer, between which is an intervening layer comprising an array of thermoplastic islands.