A method of forming a composite member, includes: applying pressure and heat with a compaction tool to a portion of an uncured composite member to decrease a thickness of the portion, the heat applied with the compaction tool being at a temperature less than a curing temperature of the uncured composite member; and curing the uncured composite member after applying pressure and heat.

A protective cap (1) is proposed for an end of an elongate member (6), such as a male connecting end of a pipe or tube. The cap (1) comprises a sheath of flexible, resilient (i.e. elastic) material (2) to cover part of the outer surface of the member (6) at an end of the member. The protective cap (1) can be applied to the end of the member by unfurling at least part of the sheath 3 from a gathered configuration, such as a rolled-up configuration. The protective cap (1) includes resilient ridges (8) extending inwardly from an insert member (2), and/or a chip at least partly within the cap.

A composite laminate for connection to at least one attachment component in a load-introduction joint, said composite laminate comprising an opening that is adapted to receive a load-introduction component of said load-introduction joint, wherein a prefailure indication element is provided in the region of said opening, said prefailure indication element being modifiable by said load-introduction component in a prefailure mode of said load-introduction joint for indication of an impending function-affecting failure of said composite laminate. The invention is further related to a corresponding load-introduction component.

In one embodiment, a method includes fastening a plurality of components of a composite structure in an assembly fixture, wherein the assembly fixture comprises a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the assembly fixture further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the assembly fixture; and heating the assembly fixture in an autoclave to bond the plurality of components of the composite structure.

Layers of plies of composite material are laid on a convex tool surface. A first layer is placed with a first ply of a first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a first ply of a second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other. A second layer is placed with a second ply of the first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a second ply of the second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other, the second ply of the second section overlapping onto the first ply of the first section by a splice distance. Consolidation and curing cause contraction of the layers toward the tool, allowing the adjacent gap edges of each layer to be in close proximity or in contact after moving toward each other during the contraction.

A composite structure comprises stacked sets of laminated fiber reinforced resin plies and metal sheets. Edges of the resin plies and metal sheets are interleaved to form a composite-to-metal joint connecting the resin plies with the metal sheets.

In one embodiment, an assembly fixture may include a base structure including a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprising a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands, and wherein the base structure further comprises an anisotropic thermal expansion property based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the base structure, The assembly fixture may further include a plurality of fastening structures coupled to the base structure, wherein the plurality of fastening structures is configured to fasten a plurality of components of a composite structure for assembly using a heated bonding process.

An aircraft wing (6) is provided. The aircraft wing (6) comprises at least one structure (62), (64), 66 comprising: a foam core (626), (666); first and second carbon fibre composite layers (624a), (622a), (662a), (664a) respectively attached to top and bottom sides of the foam core to sandwich the foam core; and third and fourth carbon fibre composite layers (624b), (622b), (662b), (664b) respectively disposed adjacent to the first and second carbon fibre composite layers, wherein the total thickness of the structure is between 1 mm and 11 mm. An aircraft having the aircraft wing and a method of manufacturing a structure are also provided.

Layers of plies of composite material are laid on a convex tool surface. A first layer is placed with a first ply of a first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a first ply of a second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other. A second layer is placed with a second ply of the first section having a gap edge adjacent a gap edge of a second ply of the second section, the edges being parallel and a contraction distance from each other, the second ply of the second section overlapping onto the first ply of the first section by a splice distance. Consolidation and curing cause contraction of the layers toward the tool, allowing the adjacent gap edges of each layer to be in close proximity or in contact after moving toward each other during the contraction.

A composite structure comprises stacked sets of laminated fiber reinforced resin plies and metal sheets. Edges of the resin plies and metal sheets are interleaved to form a composite-to-metal joint connecting the resin plies with the metal sheets.