A composite structural panel for use in bridge structures, and method of manufacturing same, comprises a top panel and a bottom panel separated by and attached to at least one, but preferably a plurality, of structural composite preforms which may be fabricated by a continuous manufacturing process and may be saturated by resin using a continuous wetting process. The composite preforms may take any cross sectional shape but are preferably trapezoidal. The top and bottom panels may be fabricated from a plurality of layers of woven fabric layers and non-woven fabric layers which are saturated with a resin that is subsequently cured using cure processes known in the art. The composite structural panel of the invention is usable as a flat structural member for use as bridge decking, ramps, trestles, and any application requiring a structural panel.

A method to integrate a first part and a second part comprising composite material, both parts being at least partially thermoplastic parts, that comprises the steps of providing the first part, placing the first part in a tool, applying an in-situ consolidation process, such that integration layers of thermoplastic material are laid on thermoplastic plies of the first part and the integration of the first part with the integration layers is obtained, the integration layers being the first layers of the second part, wherein the applied in-situ consolidation process comprises the sub-steps of melting each tape by a heat source, and welding to the layer below, compressing by a roller, and cooling down below melting temperature of thermoplastic, laying the rest of the second part, and curing or consolidation of a remainder of the second part.

A device and a method for producing a carrier part having a plurality of fiber bundles. At least one fiber bundle strand is removed from a supply with a fiber bundle conveying unit and is conveyed into its own feed channel. A suction channel associated with each feed channel is fluidically connected thereto. An air flow is generated in the suction channel, and an end portion of the at least one fiber bundle strand is conveyed into the suction channel. By moving the at least one suction channel into a working position, the end portion of the at least one fiber bundle strand is free in a working region of the device. A needle unit having at least one needle can pick up the end portion in the working region and can pull or push it through a carrier part as the needle unit moves through the carrier part.

A method for producing a component with a fibre-reinforced foam core has the steps of supplying a foam core having a first main surface and an opposite, second main surface, positioning at least one needle at the first main surface of the foam core, piercing the foam core with the needle, with the result that a needle tip penetrates through the first main surface into the foam core and then through the second main surface, hooking a reinforcing fibre into the needle tip, pulling the needle back, with the result that the reinforcing fibre is pulled through the foam core, and coating the reinforcing fibre with a resin while the needle is being pulled back.

Described herein is a process for producing polyurethane sandwich moldings including at least one core layer and at least one reinforcing fiber layer, where (i) at least one reinforcing fiber layer is applied onto a core layer and a moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is applied to a reinforcing fiber layer, (ii) the part from (i) is placed into a mold and pressed in the mold and the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is cured, and (iii) the molding from (ii) is removed from the mold and optionally subjected to further operations, where the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is applied before or after application of the reinforcing fiber layer onto the at least one core layer and for the curing the moisture-curing polyurethane adhesive is brought into contact with water or with a solution comprising water. Also described herein are a polyurethane sandwich molding obtainable by such a process and a method of using a polyurethane sandwich molding in vehicles.

A method for producing a plastic tank having one or more reinforcements. The method includes forming at least one part of the tank wall with a semi-finished panel made of plastic having at least one outer layer composed of a first thermoplastic, forming a reinforcement for the tank wall with at least one fibre-reinforced structural component comprising a matrix composed of a second thermoplastic that is weldable to the first thermoplastic. The fibre-reinforced structural component is then applied to a predefined region of the at least one outer layer of the semi-finished panel. The fibre-reinforced structural component is then fused with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel by applying heat to the semi-finished panel and the applied fibre-reinforced structural component. The fused fibre-reinforced structural component and semi-finished panel is then formed into a final shape. Optionally, the formed component is then connected to at least one other part of the tank wall to form the complete tank wall.

The invention relates to a method for preparing a fiber-reinforced article, having attached to at least part of its surface a layer of a material that is not fiber-reinforced, comprising the steps of 1) preparing a shell via an additive manufacturing technique, the shellbeing of a material that is not fiber-reinforced; andhaving a surface that corresponds in negative relief to a surface of the article formed in step 3); thereafter 10 2) applyinglong and/or continuous reinforcement fibers; anda curable resin to the surface of the shell that is in negative relief, to form a mixture of curable resin and long and/or continuous reinforcement fibers on the 1 surface of the shell, so that the surface of the mixture contacting the shell adopts the shape of the surface of the shell that is in negative relief; thereafter 3) curing the curable resin to form the fiber-reinforced article having attached to at least part of its surface a layer of a material that is not 20 fiber-reinforced.

A method for making a structural sandwich panel includes the steps of positioning a first and second thermoplastic skin elements in overlying relationship with respect to a heated male and heated female die molds respectively. A first pressure reduction is applied between the first thermoplastic skin element and the heated male die mold and a second pressure reduction is applied between the second thermoplastic and the heated female die mold. A core panel element is positioned between the heated male die mold and the heated female die mold wherein the core panel element has a first adhesive on a first side and has a second adhesive on a second opposing side. The male and female die molds are closed and exert a pressure onto the core panel element to secure the first and second thermoplastic skin elements to the core panel element and form the core panel element.

A lineal product includes a substrate having an outer surface, a thermoplastic base layer applied to the outer surface, and a second thermoplastic layer applied over at least a portion of the base layer, the second layer having a hardness of at least 1 H pencil hardness.

A construct for a hockey blade that includes a foam core. The foam core includes a first core face, a second core face, and a core edge. A first layer of resin preimpregnated tape is wrapped continuously around the first core face, the core edge and the second core face. A thread is stitched along the first layer of preimpregnated tape. A second layer of resin preimpregnated tape wrapped continuously around the first layer of resin preimpregnated tape.