A hot press cushioning material (10) of the present invention includes, as a base material, a woven fabric layer (11) using bulky yarn (12) as at least one of the warp and weft, and a nonwoven fabric layer (14) placed on one surface side of the woven fabric layer (11), a part of the nonwoven fabric layer (14) being embedded in the woven fabric layer (11). A nonwoven fabric-resin composite layer (18) is formed in the opposite surface of the nonwoven fabric layer (14) from the woven fabric layer (11) by impregnation with resin (15). A woven fabric-rubber composite layer (19) is formed in the other surface of the woven fabric layer (11) by impregnation with rubber (16). The nonwoven fabric-resin composite layer (18) and the woven fabric-rubber composite layer (19) have voids (17) therein.

A tooling element includes a flexible sleeve defining an interior cavity. The flexible sleeve includes a sealable access port extending through the flexible sleeve from the interior cavity to an exterior of the flexible sleeve. The tooling element further includes vacuum-packed tooling particulate disposed within and filling the interior cavity of the flexible sleeve.

A method, apparatus, and system for applying a vacuum-based pressure on an uncured composite structure. Membranes are bonded to a boundary of a caul. The membranes include positive features that define vacuum channels. The membranes are spliced to each other. The positive features that define the vacuum channels in the membranes are aligned to each other during splicing of the membranes. The membranes spliced to each other and bonded to the caul to form an integrated caul. The integrated caul applies a pressure on the uncured composite structure during operation of the integrated caul.

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating pick and placement of preforms. One embodiment is a method for picking and placing a preform. The method includes placing an inner surface of a first caul plate into contact with a first side of a stringer preform, such that an outer surface of the first caul plate forms a first plane that is uniform along a length of the stringer preform, placing an inner surface of a second caul plate into contact with a second side of the stringer preform, such that an outer surface of the second caul plate forms a second plane that is parallel to the first plane along a length of the stringer preform, grasping the caul plates at the first plane and the second plane along the length of the stringer preform, and lifting the stringer preform together with the caul plates while maintaining the grasp.

The present disclosure concerns a molding apparatus including: a first thermally conductive flange and a second thermally conductive flange, said first and second thermally conductive flanges delimiting a cavity configured to receive thermoplastic pre-impregnated textiles, a mold thermally conductive and thermoregulated by a heat transfer fluidcomprising an upper impression and a lower impression, said upper and lower impressions being configured to receive said first and second thermally conductive flanges.

A method for molding fiber-reinforced plastic. A core is formed in a desired shape by accommodating, in a flexible bag, a grain group containing plurality of grains. The core is placed inside a prepreg containing resin and fibers, and the prepreg, in which the core is housed is placed in a molding die and compression molded. When doing so, the grain group contains first and second grains (a,b) that satisfy the equation (1). (1) 1.1(Da/Db)2.0 In the equation Da is the grain diameter of the grains (a), and Db is the grain diameter of the grain (b). When using a molding die to mold a molded article having a cavity, the above mentioned molding method enables an increase in the internal pressure of the core in order to change the peripheral surface area of the core, without using a pressurized gas and/or pressurized liquid.

A method for molding fiber-reinforced plastic. A core is formed in a desired shape by accommodating, in a flexible bag, a grain group containing plurality of grains. The core is placed inside a prepreg containing resin and fibers, and the prepreg, in which the core is housed is placed in a molding die and compression molded. When doing so, the grain group contains first and second grains (a,b) that satisfy the equation (1). (1) 1.1(Da/Db)2.0 In the equation Da is the grain diameter of the grains (a), and Db is the grain diameter of the grain (b). When using a molding die to mold a molded article having a cavity, the above mentioned molding method enables an increase in the internal pressure of the core in order to change the peripheral surface area of the core, without using a pressurized gas and/or pressurized liquid.

The disclosure concerns an out-of-autoclave thermoplastic consolidation apparatus and method comprising a metallic bladder which is biased against a lower part of a tool during a consolidation process to form a composite component.

A tooling element includes a flexible sleeve defining an interior cavity. The flexible sleeve includes a sealable access port extending through the flexible sleeve from the interior cavity to an exterior of the flexible sleeve. The tooling element further includes vacuum-packed tooling particulate disposed within and filling the interior cavity of the flexible sleeve.

Disclosed is a laminating apparatus capable of suppressing the generation of voids in a resulting laminate and manufacturing a laminate with improved flatness, including a vacuum laminating device and a first flat press laminating device. The vacuum laminating device includes a pair of plate blocks, and a base material and resin are pressed between the plate blocks. The plate block which is movable forwardly and backwardly includes an elastic pressing plate and a buffer material, and the buffer material has a multi-layer structure comprised of not less than three layers including a fiber layer and a rubber layer. A pressing force against the base material and the resin between the pair of plate blocks is set in the range of 2.5 to 3.97 MPa per 500 mm square area.