A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A treated liquid crystal polymer resin sheet includes a main surface, a non-fiberized portion in which fibrous crystalline portions and a non-crystalline portion filling a gap between the crystalline portions are provided, and a fiberized portion in which the fibrous crystalline portions is exposed at the main surface with a gap between the crystalline portions that is unfilled.

A method of directly joining a polymer to a metal along a joint interface through the formation of CO-M chemical bonds, where M represents an element in the metal to be joined. The method includes heating the metal to a predetermined temperature above a glass transition temperature of the polymer and less than a flash ignition temperature of the polymer and less than a metal melting temperature of the metal; physically contacting at least one of the metal and the polymer; and applying compression pressure to the joint interface of the metal and the polymer when the metal is above the glass transition temperature of the polymer and less than the flash ignition temperature of the polymer and less than the metal melting temperature of the metal to generate intimate atomic contact between the metal and the polymer to create CO-M chemical bonds between the metal and the polymer.

A method for connecting two aircraft components composed of thermoplastic composite material by a rivet. The two aircraft components are arranged, in sections, areally on one another, before bores in the two aircraft components are expanded by a mandrel element such that the bores, after the expansion, form one continuous bore for receiving the rivet. Here, the two aircraft components are locally warmed by the mandrel element such that, during the expansion of the bores, the components are thermoplastically deformed. The mandrel element is inserted through the first bore into the second bore. The rivet is introduced into the continuous bore. A system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.

The invention relates to a method for producing plastic components for a vehicle, wherein the plastic components are at least partially painted in a painting step and are subsequently connected to further components on the non-painted surfaces, wherein at least one region, which is used to connect to the further components, is freed of impurities by a removal method using laser light.

The present invention is directed to a method of forming a bottom-gusseted package, wherein each package includes an inwardly-extending, pleat-like gusset at the bottom of the package. To permit heat-sealing formation of each package, the sleeve from which each gusset is formed comprises a lamination of two differing polymeric materials, a sealant layer and a non-sealant layer, so that only an exterior surface of each sleeve, at which the sealant layer is positioned, exhibits the desired heat-sealing characteristics. To facilitate package formation, the sleeves from which the bottom gussets are formed are maintained in a closed or sealed configuration during package formation by providing a heat-sealed bond at the edge of each sleeve. In one embodiment, portions of the non-sealant layer are vaporized to provide sealable surface regions of the sealant layer. In an alternative embodiment, a lamination of the sealant and non-sealant layers is formed such that the sealant layer extends laterally beyond the non-sealant layer, to thereby provide sealable surface regions of the sealant layer.

A method for bonding two elements, the method including receiving first and second elements, the first element being a composite material; applying a laser-based treatment to a surface of the first element to obtain a treated surface; patterning the treated surface to have plural trenches; applying an adhesive to one of the first and second elements; and joining the first element to the second element so that the adhesive is between the first and second elements.

The present specification relates to a joint body of different materials, and a method of manufacturing the same. The joint body includes a metal layer; and a resin layer provided on and in contact with one surface of the metal layer. The metal layer comprises two or more etching grooves and two or more burrs provided on a surface of the metal layer adjacent to the etching grooves.

An electronic module has a first circuit board element, a second circuit board element, and a spacer. Together, the first circuit board element, the second circuit board element, and the spacer enclose a central cavity, in which components attached to the first circuit board element are accommodated. Respective annular circumferential microstructures are provided on a surface of the first circuit board element directed outward and on a surface of the second circuit board element directed outward, adjacent to an outer periphery of the first circuit board element. In this region, a sealing ring is formed, which has a form-closed connection to both the first and the second circuit board element by means of the microstructures of the first and the second circuit board element. The sealing ring can be made of a resistant plastic, which is molded on by injection molding in the liquid state in the region of the outer periphery of the first circuit board element and flows into recesses of the microstructures and, after the curing, forms the form-closed and sealing connection between the two circuit board elements and the sealing ring thereby formed.

A joining method for connecting at least two thermoplastic workpieces is provided to permit the joining even of non-transparent carbon fiber reinforced plastics parts by means of laser welding, in which a splice is produced at the edge regions of the workpieces and the workpieces are subsequently positioned relative to one another in such a manner that the opposite splice regions bound a seam region. Connecting bodies are then inserted into the seam region and heated by means of local heat input by laser beam such that a fixed integrally bonded connection forms between the workpieces and the connecting bodies.