An arrangement for producing a composite material component comprises a bagging configured to seal a receiving space for a semi-finished part against the ambient atmosphere. The bagging is a thermoformed bagging having a shape which, at least in sections, corresponds to a shape of the semi-finished part and which comprises an air-tight outer layer and an inner separation layer. The inner separation layer is configured to allow the bagging to be separated from the composite material component made from the semi-finished part. The arrangement further comprises a vacuum source connected to the receiving space and configured to generate a reduced pressure within the receiving space. The arrangement also comprises a curing apparatus configured to cure a thermoset plastic material either contained in at least one element of the semi-finished part or injected into the receiving space when the semi-finished part is sealed within the receiving space via the bagging.

An in-situ double vacuum debulk (DVD) composite repair system designed to produce partially or fully cured autoclave-quality hot-bond composite repairs on contoured structures. The system provides vacuum pressure for hot bond repairs to be performed on flat and contoured structures using one set-up capable of debulking (partially curing) and then fully curing composite repairs on composite and metallic aircraft structures. The use of in-situ DVD also eliminates handling of the patch/adhesive when transferring from an off-aircraft DVD chamber to the repair site on the aircraft. This can increase the probability of successful repairs because the possibility of contaminating and misaligning the adhesive and repair patch are eliminated.

An out-of-autoclave compression molding system is disclosed herein. The system includes a mold, a vacuum bag, a vacuum valve, a pressure plate, and a pressure valve. The mold includes a concave feature and a flange. The vacuum bag covers at least the concave feature. The pressure plate is positioned outside the vacuum bag clamped to the flange and on the mold to form a pressure cavity between the vacuum bag and the plate. An out-of-autoclave compression molding process is also described. The process includes pressing a composite material and thermoset resin into a mold having a flange; surrounding the mold, composite material, and resin with a vacuum bag; sealing and evacuating the vacuum bag; clamping a pressure plate to the flange; and pressurizing the cavity.

A high-quality multilayer thermoplastic-resin-reinforced sheet material having excellent mechanical properties and drapeability in which a thermoplastic resin excellent in recycling efficiency and shock resistance is used as a matrix. A thermoplastic-resin multilayer reinforced molding formed of the multilayer thermoplastic-resin-reinforced sheet material, in which the high quality and the mechanical properties are maintained. The multilayer thermoplastic-resin-reinforced sheet material (11) is formed by stacking thermoplastic-resin-reinforced sheet materials (21A) to (21D) each formed of a reinforcing-fiber sheet material (31), consisting of a plurality of reinforcing fibers (31f) arranged in a predetermined direction in a sheet-like structure, and a thermoplastic-resin sheet material (41) joined to a surface of the reinforcing-fiber sheet material (31), and stitching them together with an integration thermoplastic-resin fiber tow (51) composed of the same material as the thermoplastic-resin sheet material (41). The reinforcing-fiber sheet materials (31) are stacked such that their reinforcing directions are multiaxial.

A method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded article includes disposing a suction medium, a resin barrier aeration medium and a fiber base material in a cavity such that the suction medium is disposed between an end part of the fiber base material and a mold, and the resin barrier aeration medium is disposed between the suction medium and the end part of the fiber base material. The method further includes: impregnating the fiber base material with a resin by injecting the resin from an injection part, while reducing a pressure in the cavity by suction from a suction part; curing the resin with which the fiber base material is impregnated; and releasing a fiber-reinforced resin in which the fiber base material and the resin are integrated.

A molding method and a molding system for improving a molding speed of a resin molded member. In the method, firstly a thermoplastic resin composite material is filled in a metal mold (i.e., at time T0), and subsequently a mold-clamping process gets started. As the mold-clamping process progresses, a first decompression circuit starts to decompress an inside of a cavity when the cavity is closed by a sealing member provided on the metal mold. Then, as the mold-clamping process further progresses, the thermoplastic resin composite material thus filled in the metal mold contacts an upper mold of the metal mold (i.e., at time T2). After that, a second decompression circuit starts to decompress the inside of the cavity, thereby to complete the mold-clamping process (i.e., at time T3).

A vacuum probe comprises a sharpened body that is displaceable downward and toward a vacuum bag during vacuum hose quick connection. The sharpened body and a valve element inside the vacuum probe move in tandem until the sharpened body projects outside the vacuum probe. A vacuum pressure applied via the vacuum hose pulls the vacuum bag upwards and towards the projecting sharpened body, which then punctures the vacuum bag, thereby enabling air under the vacuum bag to be evacuated via the vacuum probe as vacuum pressure continues to be applied.

A method for forming a shaped composite structure. The method includes laying a composite laminate stack (12) onto a mold (18), where the composite laminate stack (12) comprises fabric laminate (14,16) and resin and wherein the mold (18) presents a predetermined shape, draping a vacuum film (22) comprising polyethylene onto the composite laminate stack (12), thereby establishing an evacuatable volume between the vacuum film (22) and the mold (18), applying suction to the evacuatable volume between the mold (18) and the vacuum film (22) to establish at least a partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, thereby compressing the composite laminate stack (12) via pressure applied to the vacuum film (22) responsive to the at least partial vacuum within the evacuatable volume, and heating the composite laminate stack (12) while applying suction to the evacuatable volume, thereby at least partially consolidating the laminate stack (12).

Multi-layer protective sheets of the invention are extensible. They are useful in a range of indoor and outdoor applications in, for example, the transportation, architectural and sporting goods industries. The protective sheets can advantageously be applied to at least a portion of a surface of any article where protection is desired. Methods of the invention include those for forming protective sheets of the invention and applying them to articles.

A multi-layer elastomeric tooling for the manufacturing of composite structures is disclosed. The tooling comprises an elastomeric base material with an outer layer of fluoroelastomer. The base material can, in certain embodiments, be selected for its mechanical or thermal performance or low cost without the limitation of being a contact material. The outer material can, in various embodiments, have inferior mechanical properties, or durometers different than the base material or can be a contact or barrier material.