Systems and methods are provided for multi-celled pressurizable air bladders. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a bladder. The bladder includes a casing that encloses an internal volume of the bladder, walls within the bladder that subdivide the internal volume into cells that are airtight with respect to each other, and ducting that couples each of the cells with a source of pressurized gas via a distinct pathway. The apparatus also includes a controller that progressively pressurizes individual cells within the bladder from a first portion of a laminate to a second portion of the laminate by controlling application of gas from the source via the ducting.

A device for manufacturing a composite component including a tool with a first and second sections forming first and second confinement surfaces, the sections movable relative to each other into and out of a fastening configuration. The device includes a closing mechanism with a closing section. In the fastening configuration, the first confinement surface and the second confinement surface face one another, and the sections and the closing mechanism are arranged such that a cavity is formed between the sections and the closing mechanism. The closing section is transferable from an open configuration into a closed configuration. In the closed configuration, the third confinement surface extends along a plane perpendicular to the first and second confinement surfaces, wherein, when the closing mechanism is heated from a first temperature to a second temperature, the closing section transfers from the open configuration into the closed configuration at a predefined temperature.

A tape laying head configured to lay a tow material on a mould in the construction of a composite structure, the tape laying head including: a shearing mechanism configured to receive tow material from a tow supply and to steer the tow material by applying shear deformation to the tow material between a pair of shear boundaries defined by the shearing mechanism, the shearing mechanism being further configured to apply a driving force to the tow material, the driving force having a longitudinal component and a transverse component with respect to the tow material during steering of the tow material; and a tension control system configured to control the transverse component of the driving force acting on the tow material to be equal to or less than a maximum transverse frictional force associated with the shearing mechanism by varying a tensioning force applied to the tow material by the tension control system and monitoring the driving force.

Composite material protection from UV degradation is disclosed by providing a co-cured composite material substrate co-cured with a UV/visible light-resistant fiberglass layer to form co-cured composite materials for exclusively imparting UV/visible light-resistant properties to co-cured composite material substrates for use in UV/visible light-resistant vehicle fuel tank assemblies.

According to one embodiment, a system for manufacturing a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) prepreg includes a mechanism for continuously moving a fabric or mat and a resin application component that applies a methyl methacrylate (MMA) resin to the fabric or mat. The system also includes a press mechanism that presses the fabric or mat during the continuous movement subsequent to the application of the MMA resin to ensure that the MMA resin fully saturates the fabric or mat. The system further includes a curing oven through which the fabric or mat is continuously moved. The curing oven is maintained at a temperature of between 40° C. and 100° C. to polymerize the MMA resin and thereby form PMMA so that upon exiting the curing oven, the fabric or mat is fully impregnated with PMMA.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a molded article obtained by double belt press molding a thermosetting prepreg, in which the thermosetting prepreg is coated with a release film during molding, and a width of the prepreg is 1 to 25 mm smaller than that of the release film. This manufacturing method suppresses burr generation and fiber twisting, and is excellent in width restriction, and thus can be suitably used for, for example, automobile members, railroad vehicle members, aerospace machine members, ship members, household equipment members, sporting goods members, light vehicle members, building and civil engineering members, and housings for OA equipment and the like.

Textile compositions comprising at least one filamentous fungus are disclosed, as are methods for making and using such textile compositions. Embodiments of the textile compositions generally include at least one of a plasticizer, a polymer, and a crosslinker, in addition to the filamentous fungus. The disclosed textile compositions are particularly useful as analogs or substitutes for conventional textile compositions, including but not limited to leather.

Textile compositions comprising at least one filamentous fungus are disclosed, as are methods for making and using such textile compositions. Embodiments of the textile compositions generally include at least one of a plasticizer, a polymer, and a crosslinker, in addition to the filamentous fungus. The disclosed textile compositions are particularly useful as analogs or substitutes for conventional textile compositions, including but not limited to leather.

Textile compositions comprising at least one filamentous fungus are disclosed, as are methods for making and using such textile compositions. Embodiments of the textile compositions generally include at least one of a plasticizer, a polymer, and a crosslinker, in addition to the filamentous fungus. The disclosed textile compositions are particularly useful as analogs or substitutes for conventional textile compositions, including but not limited to leather.

A method of manufacturing a cured composite structure includes placing a radius filler element into a radius cavity extending along a length of a composite base member. The radius filler element is formed of a permeable material. The method also includes absorbing resin from the composite base member into the permeable material of the radius filler element. The method additionally includes curing or solidifying the resin in the radius filler element and in the composite base member to form a cured composite structure in which the resin bonds the radius filler element to the composite base member.