A method of removing a vacuum bag from a composite mold. Removable strips are placed around the perimeter of the component parts and across the parts to create natural break points in the consumable materials used during manufacture of a composite product, e.g. wind turbine blade. The vacuum bag, and other consumable layers, are placed over the removable strip such that when the strips are pulled, the strip tears, in a controlled and complete manner, through each layer of consumables. This eliminates the need to use a knife/scissor to remove the finished product, thereby avoiding risk of injury.

A method for manufacturing a shim involves applying a pliable material onto a surface of a first piece; pressing a surface of a second piece against the surface of the first piece; curing the pliable material, resulting in a cured material; removing the cured material from the first piece; taking a three dimensional scan of the cured material; and manufacturing a shim based on the three dimensional scan.

The bonding apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus that bonds a patch containing a reinforcing fiber to a bonded section of a corner section CR of an object member. The bonding apparatus has s heater mat, a pushing member, a bag member having a decompression port, a mold releasing film, a breather, a heater mat and a sealant. A pushing member has a first cowl plate, a second cowl plate and an elastic pressuring body. A pressuring section of the pushing member has the surface shape corresponding to a corner section design value after the patch is bonded. By protruding from a gap between a first cowl plate and a second cowl plate to a direction of the corner section CR, the patch is pushed to the bonded section and the generation of a wrinkle in the reinforcing fiber can be prevented.

Disclosed are fluid transfer and evacuation structures formed in a vacuum bag operable for use in vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding, debulking, compaction, or similar processes. A reusable vacuum bag can be provided including an elastomeric membrane having a preform-contact surface and at least one textured surface formed in the elastomeric membrane. The textured surface can define a fluid transfer channel. At least one fluid extraction port can be provided in communication with the fluid transfer channel, the fluid extraction port being adapted for engagement to a vacuum pump to remove fluids from the fluid transfer channel. The textured surface defining the fluid transfer channel can be adapted to permit the flow of fluids between the elastomeric membrane and a base mold in communication with the elastomeric membrane when the fluid extraction port is engaged to a vacuum pump.

An apparatus is provided for forming a pleat of a vacuum bag into position over a stringer of an uncured skin panel. The apparatus comprises a leading shoe and a trailing shoe that cooperates with the leading shoe to form the pleat of the vacuum bag. The apparatus also comprises at least one roller assembly for compacting the formed pleat into position over the stringer.

Systems and methods are provided for enhanced vacuum bags. One embodiment is a method that includes placing a laminate comprising uncured fiber reinforced polymer onto a mandrel, laying up a vacuum bag, which includes integral ultrasonic transducers within a gas-impermeable layer, atop the laminate, and sealing the vacuum bag to the mandrel. The method also includes drawing a vacuum on the laminate via the vacuum bag, removing gas between the integral ultrasonic transducers and the laminate, and interrogating the laminate with the integral ultrasonic transducers.

A method for forming a shaped composite structure. The method includes laying a composite laminate stack onto a mold, where the composite laminate stack comprises fabric laminate and resin and wherein the mold presents a predetermined shape, draping a vacuum film comprising polyethylene onto the composite laminate stack, thereby establishing an evacuatable volume between the vacuum film and the mold, applying suction to the evacuatable volume between the mold and the vacuum film to establish at least a partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, thereby compressing the composite laminate stack via pressure applied to the vacuum film responsive to the at least partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, and heating the composite laminate stack while applying suction to the evacuatable volume, thereby at least partially consolidating the laminate stack.

A method for producing a composite material molded article, including laminating a fibrous filler on a mold; pressure-reducing inside an airproof space, the airproof space being formed with the mold laminated with the fibrous filler and an airproof film covering thereon; and impregnating a resin material in the fibrous filler, the formation of the airproof space including bonding the mold and the airproof film with a seal material containing a (meth)acrylic polymer as an adhesive. The composite resin molded article obtained by the method of the present invention can be suitably used in fields in which composite materials of fibrous fillers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers are generally used, for example, housings, structural members, and the like for moving objects or movable objects.

A method for molding a composite material in which a curved corner is formed between two planes by using a molding jig includes: shaping a laminated body in such a manner that a thickness of the laminated body is decreased from an outer side toward an inner side of the corner, by using the molding jig in which the angle formed by the two planes is a first bending angle, the laminated body including fiber sheets laminated so as to have the corner curved at the first bending angle; and shaping the laminated body in such a manner that the thickness is decreased from the outer side toward the inner side by curving the corner so as to form a second bending angle, by using the molding jig in which the angle formed by the two planes is the second bending angle smaller than the first bending angle.

A methods for producing a fibrous preform includes placing a fibrous mat onto a depositing surface, the depositing surface being formed by a web face of a mould core, a first support surface of a first support installation and a second support surface of a second support installation. The fibrous mat is covered by a film and is pressed in a planar manner onto the depositing surface by generating a vacuum. Bringing to bear the fibrous mat on lateral faces of the mould core that extend transversely to the web face is subsequently performed by moving the support installations and the mould core relative to one another in such a manner that a level differential between the web face of the mould core and the support surfaces of the support installations is enlarged. A device for producing a fibrous preform is furthermore described.