A hose is provided comprising a rubber backing layer directly bonded to a continuous polyamide layer without an intervening adhesive layer, wherein the hose exhibits increased low and high temperature capability and decreased permeation compared to standard automotive refrigerant hoses.

A fabric and elastomeric material (referred to as a fabric trilayer) combined with a sealant may be applied in such a fashion so as to eliminate or minimize air entrapment in an elastomeric composite structure that forms a seal-sealing volume. The performance of the self-sealing volume is dramatically improved with this minimizing of air entrapment. Surprisingly and unexpectedly, this construction approach may be accomplished without significantly adding to the weight or thickness of the volume and without affecting the outer dimension of the self-sealing volume. Thus, a method and system for forming a self-sealing volume are described. The system includes an elastomeric composite structure comprising at least one layer of an elastomeric material derived from a neat (no solvent) elastomeric material that does not substantially react at room temperature.

Forming systems and methods for drape forming a composite charge are disclosed herein. The forming systems include a forming die having a forming surface configured to receive the composite charge and a collapsible support having a support surface. The forming surface has a forming surface edge that extends along a length of the forming surface, and the support surface has a die-proximate support surface edge that extends along the length of the support surface. The forming surface edge and the die-proximate support surface edge define a gap therebetween. A shape of the die-proximate support surface edge corresponds to a shape of the forming surface edge such that a gap width of the gap is at least substantially constant along a length of the gap. The collapsible support is configured to transition from an extended conformation to a collapsed conformation. The methods include methods of utilizing the systems.

A flow-enhancing fabric extends in a longitudinal direction and in a transverse direction. The fabric includes a plurality of fibre layers including a first fibre layer and a second fibre layer arranged upon each other, the first fibre layer has a first plurality of fibre bundles oriented in parallel in a first fibre direction and has a plurality of first glass fibre bundles and a number of first carbon fibre bundles. The second fibre layer has a second plurality of fibre bundles oriented in parallel in a second fibre direction different from the first direction and has a plurality of second glass fibre bundles and a number of second carbon fibre bundles. At least a number of first carbon fibre bundles intersect and contact a number of second carbon fibre bundles. The fabric has a plurality of monofilaments arranged between the first and second fibre layer along the transverse direction.

An anti and/or de-icing blade and manufacturing method for said blade including a pressure side shell and a suction side shell, the shells including at least one electrical connector layer extending from the leading edge towards the trailing edge, at least one heating elements layer electrically in contact with the electrical connector layer, glass fabric layers at least inwardly in contact with the electrical connector or with heating elements layer, a connector component extending transversally through the glass fabric layers and being electrically connected with the electrical connector layer and with a metallic block which is drilled by an inter-connector so that the electrical connector layers from each shell are electrically connected and the blade is able to be heated when electrically fed from power source.

Methods for forming composite articles include providing a non-crimp fabric (NCF) comprising a plurality of fiber plies maintained in a layup by stitching, wherein the stitching exhibits a lower structural tolerance to heat and/or UV light relative to the fiber plies, selectively degrading the stitching in one or more areas using heat or UV light, draping the NCF on a contoured article, applying a polymer matrix material to the draped NCF, and curing the polymer matrix material to form a contoured composite article. The stitching can be degraded in regions of the NCF which, when draped on the contoured article, correspond to topological features of the contoured article. Degrading the stitching can comprise breaking the stitching. The fiber plies can comprise carbon fibers, glass fibers, and/or basalt fibers. The contoured article can be tooling and/or an automotive component. The NCF can be a bi-axial NCF.

A method for producing a part made of composite material includes adding a thermoplastic or thermosetting matrix around a preform of a reinforcing fiber mesh made by filament winding around the spurs or the like of a frame. There is winding in addition to the fibers on one or several reels within the matrix, the axes of the spurs or the like and those of the one or more reels having different orientations, so as to provide the mesh of fibers with a three-dimensional shape.

Certain embodiments described herein are directed to articles that provide less sag. In some examples, the articles can include a fiber reinforced thermoplastic polymer core layer comprising reinforcing fibers and a thermoplastic polymer, and a frim disposed on the fiber reinforced polymer core layer. In certain examples, the frim comprises a film coupled to a scrim comprising an effective basis weight to prevent substantial sag of the article, e.g., during a forming operation.

A band or belt designed as an elongate bearing, traction or drive element running around rollers or pulleys and made of an elastomer material, and preferably provided with embedded reinforcing elements or tension members extending in the longitudinal direction of the band or belt, having the following features: the band or the belt has one or more elongate tubular receptacles embedded in the elastomer material, in the cavity of which electronic components are arranged, preferably sensors, signal processing or control devices and/or transmission devices, the tubular receptacles are embedded in the elastomer material in such a way that their longitudinal axis or the direction of their greatest extent is oriented substantially transversely to the main bending direction of the band or belt.

A composite material molded product has a hollow portion, a bent portion, or a curved portion in a transverse section thereof. When the composite material molded product has, for example, a bent portion, a surface on an inside of the bent portion is a pressed surface. A mold includes a pressing body that is thermally expandable and has an outer surface shape corresponding to a shape of a pressed surface, and a mold main body including a cavity accommodating the laminate and the pressing body inside, the cavity including an inner surface shape corresponding to a shape other than the pressed surface. The cavity is sealed in a state that the pressing body is disposed in the cavity. The laminate is accommodated in a molding space formed between an inner surface of the cavity and an outer surface of the pressing body.