Cap wrinkling in a contoured composite hat stringer is reduced by constraining the cap as the hat stringer is being formed from a flat composite charge. The cap is constrained by an inflatable bladder placed in a tool set used to form the composite charge.

A method of forming a barrel portion including obtaining a mandrel shaped to define at least an inner surface of a barrel portion of the bat, wrapping a first plurality of layers of fiber composite material about the mandrel, placing a removable material over a first portion of the first plurality of layers, and wrapping a second plurality of layers of fiber composite material over the removable material and the portion of the first plurality of layers not covered by the removable material for form an assembly. The method further includes separating the mandrel from the assembly, inserting an expandable member within the assembly, inserting the assembly into a barrel-forming mold, and molding the assembly in a single molding cycle, curing the first and second layers with the removable material to form the barrel portion of the bat, and removing the removable material and the member from the barrel portion.

Described herein are methods and systems for forming composite stringer assemblies or, more specifically, for shaping composite charges while forming these stringer assemblies. A system comprises a bladder, having a bladder core, and a bladder skin. The bladder core is formed from foam. The bladder skin is formed from an elastic material and encloses the bladder core. When a composite stringer assembly is formed, the bladder is positioned over a charge base. The charge base later becomes a stringer base, such as a fuselage section or a wing skin. A charge hat is then positioned over the bladder and is conformed to the bladder. A combination of the bladder skin and the bladder core provides support during this forming operation and later while the stringer assembly is cured. In some examples, the bladder core is collapsible for the removal of the bladder from the cavity of the stringer assembly.

An assembly system includes a fixture configured to support a structure including at least one component to receive a malleable material, and a bladder system coupled to the fixture. The bladder system includes a hollowed frame having sidewalls that support a bladder disposed therein. The hollowed frame has an opening that exposes an outer portion of the bladder and is configured to guide the exposed outer portion externally from the hollowed frame toward a targeted area of the structure. In response to inflating the bladder, the outer portion of the bladder extends through the opening and applies a force against the at least one component so as to form a design feature element from the malleable material.

A method of forming a composite part from a mufti-ply prepreg composite charge comprises reducing pressure inside a bladder, located in a chamber that is at atmospheric pressure, below the atmospheric pressure. The method also comprises placing the multi-ply prepreg composite charge, having a first shape, in the chamber and reducing pressure inside the chamber below the atmospheric pressure. The method additionally comprises, while maintaining pressure inside the chamber below the atmospheric pressure, expanding the bladder within the chamber by increasing pressure inside the bladder to the atmospheric pressure, so that the multi-ply prepreg composite charge is compressed between the bladder and a forming tool, which is located inside the chamber, and the multi-ply prepreg composite charge is configured by the forming tool to a second shape, different from the first shape. The method also comprises curing the multi-ply prepreg composite charge, having the second shape.

A device and method for producing a component. The device is composed of two mold elements, wherein one of the mold elements has a cavity which communicates with the position of one side of a component to be produced. An inflatable tube which is fluidically linked to the surrounding atmosphere is provided in the cavity. A cover covers the first and the second mold element and seals the first and said second mold element in relation to the surrounding atmosphere. The tube is expanded by applying a vacuum within the sealed regions and the tube can shape or facilitate shaping the side of the component to be produced.

A golf club with a multi-material face is disclosed herein. More specifically, the golf club head in accordance with the present invention has a multi-material striking face portion that is made out of a backing layer having a frontal pocket, made out of titanium, and an insert, made out of a composite material, adapted to be inserted into the frontal pocket. The frontal pocket and the insert could have complementary dovetail shaped undercut features to create a mechanical bond between these two components.

According to one implementation, a composite material structure includes a corrugated stringer and a panel. The corrugated stringer has a corrugated structure including portions each having hat-shaped cross section. The corrugated stringer is made of a composite material. The panel is integrated with the corrugated stringer. The panel is made of a composite material. Further, according to one implementation, a manufacturing method of a composite material structure includes: setting a textile on a laminated body of prepregs; and producing the composite material structure by covering the laminated body with a bagging film, forming a vacuum state in a space covered with the bagging film, impregnating the textile with the resin, and thermal curing of the laminated body of the prepregs. The laminated body is a panel before curing. The textile has a structure corresponding to a corrugated stringer.

A curing mold for manufacturing a turbomachine part made of composite material from a preform produced by draping pre-impregnated materials includes: a first body and a second body designed to be attached to each other and jointly defining a fixed air gap for receiving the preform and itself including a molding part of complementary shape with the part to be manufactured and intended to receive a portion to be molded of the preform, and at least one additional part located in a peripheral space of the air gap and intended to receive an additional portion forming an edge of the preform; a heating member designed to heat the preform in the air gap to a first temperature; at least one inflatable bladder housed in the first or second body, facing an additional part of the air gap; a member for injecting a pressurized fluid inside the bladder(s).

The present disclosure includes a mold base set, a forming mold core, a rubber pad or a rubber bladder, and a lateral pressure mechanism, wherein the mold base set includes a first mold base and a second mold base, and the second mold base has a mounting part; the forming mold core is arranged on the first mold base; the rubber pad is arranged on the mounting part, and the base surface and side wall surface of the sheet are molded during mold assembly of the mold base set; and the lateral pressure mechanism includes a slope fixed block fixed to the first mold base and a slope slide block set arranged on the second mold base.