A method for making a bicycle crank arm includes (a) providing an inner frame unit, (b) winding a first bundle of unidirectional continuous fibers on the inner frame unit to form an intersecting pattern, (c) impregnating the intersecting pattern with a curable resin material to obtain an impregnated structure, and (d) molding the impregnated structure in a mold.

Filament winding or another technique can be used to create composite parts having various layers of pigmented fibers. The composite parts can then be milled to form one or more flat surfaces on the composite part. Due to the layering of pigmented fibers, the flat surfaces can have a pattern that resembles wood grain or another pattern. These milled composite parts can then be used as components for furniture or other items.

A tank manufacturing method includes the steps of (a) forming a reinforcing layer before hardening, (b) embedding at least a part of a label into the reinforcing layer before hardening, and (c) winding glass fiber with thermosetting resin before hardening impregnated so as to cover the label to form a surface layer before hardening. The step (a) includes (a1) forming an inner layer before hardening, and (a2) forming an outer layer before hardening having a cover rate lower than the inner layer before hardening and lower than 100%, the outer layer before hardening being arranged on the inner layer before hardening.

A high pressure container has enhanced pressure resistant strength, and a method for manufacturing such high pressure container. The high pressure container includes a sealable hollow liner and a reinforcement layer including a composite carbon fiber bundle covering an outer surface of the hollow liner, wherein the reinforcement layer is wound around the outer surface of the hollow liner and fixed with a cured product of thermosetting resin, and a stress relaxation portion including the cured product of thermosetting product and a plurality of carbon nanotubes between a carbon fiber contained in one composite carbon fiber bundle and a carbon fiber contained in the other composite carbon fiber bundle.

Provided are a method for manufacturing a structural body and a structural body, the structural body formed of FRP and having a high degree of freedom in cross-sectional shape even at a low cost. The method for manufacturing a structural body includes a winding step of forming a cylindrical laminate body LM by winding a plurality of composite materials including reinforcing fibers and an uncured thermosetting resin around a hollow cylindrical core member CY; a compressing step of winding a tape or film around an outer circumference of the laminate body LM and compressing the same; a preheating step of heating the laminate body LM until a state prior to complete curing of the thermosetting resin; and a main heating step of arranging the laminate body LM around which the tape or film is wound and the cylindrical core member in a molding die and pressing the same to thereby heat the laminate body LM until the thermosetting resin is completely cured while deforming the cylindrical core member CY to a non-circular cross-sectional shape. Thereby, a structural body in which the cylindrical core member CY and the laminate body LM are integrated can be formed.

This invention relates to methods of fabricating components of a pressure vessel using a dicyclopentadiene prepolymer formulation in which the purity of the dicyclopentadiene is at least 92% wherein the formulation further comprises a reactive ethylene monomer that renders the prepolymer formulation flowable at ambient temperatures and to pressure vessels that are fabricated by said methods.

Systems and processes that integrate thermoplastic and shape memory alloy materials to form an adaptive composite structure capable of changing its shape. For example, the adaptive composite structure may be designed to serve as a multifunctional adaptive wing flight control surface. Other applications for such adaptive composite structures include in variable area fan nozzles, winglets, fairings, elevators, rudders, or other aircraft components having an aerodynamic surface whose shape is preferably controllable. The material systems can be integrated by means of overbraiding (interwoven) with tows of both thermoplastic and shape memory alloy materials or separate layers of each material can be consolidated (e.g., using induction heating) to make a flight control surface that does not require separate actuation.

A cascade for a jet engine thrust reverser is fabricated by co-consolidating pre-consolidated thermoplastic strongbacks and vanes. The strongbacks are reinforced with continuous fibers, and the vanes are reinforced with discontinuous fibers.

A method of manufacturing a gas tank comprises: a step (a) of preparing a liner having a hollow cylindrical shape; a step (b) of forming a first layer by winding a first fiber bundle impregnated with resin around the liner; a step (c) of forming a second layer by winding a second fiber bundle impregnated with resin around the liner with the wound first fiber bundle in such a manner that portions of the second fiber bundle overlap each other in a direction parallel to a center axis of the liner; a step (d) of causing a section where the portions of the second fiber bundle overlap each other to get into the first layer; and a step (e) of curing the resin.

A method of forming a reinforced polymeric component includes securing a plurality of pins within a mold and wrapping reinforcing fibers around the pins to form a web of reinforcing fibers. The web of reinforcing fibers has a plurality of layers. The method of forming a reinforced polymeric component further includes adding a polymer to the mold and processing the polymer to form a molded polymeric component that contains the pins and the web of reinforcing fibers. A reinforced polymeric component includes a web of reinforcing fibers wrapped around a plurality of pins. The web of reinforcing fibers includes a plurality of layers. The reinforced polymeric component further includes a molded and processed polymer containing the web of reinforcing fibers and pins.