A structural assembly includes a first member defining a matrix material, and a second member defining a skin. The skin has a roughed surface of hooks or barbs. The second member is engaged to the first member to define a mechanically interlocked assembly. The assembly may include an open-cell matrix material in a glue-less connection. The assembly may include a chemical bond in addition to a mechanical bond. The assembly may include internal layers of pre-impregnated composite fiber and resin. The skin member may act as a jig for a green composite member. The skin member may be deformed in a press to present a non-planar surface for such other members as may be attached to it. Assemblies may be formed with mechanical interconnection in place of glue or adhesive connections. Assemblies may be formed to may light, thin-walled pipe, flasks, pressure vessels and so forth.

The present disclosure is directed to a method for forming a cured composite component. The method includes laying one or more layers of uncured composite material onto a conductive core. An electric current is supplied to the conductive core to resistively heat the one or more layers of uncured composite material to a temperature sufficient to cure the one or more layers of uncured composite material into the cured composite component.

Provided are a composite member, a seat for automobile, and a component for automobile that suppress a decrease in strength at a connection place between a metal member and a fiber-reinforced member. A composite member includes: a fiber-reinforced member formed by impregnating a plurality of sheet-shaped core materials with a matrix resin; and a metal member joined to the fiber-reinforced member. The composite member has a structure in which a part of the metal member is sandwiched and fixed between a plurality of the core materials stacked in a thickness direction at a joint place between the fiber-reinforced member and the metal member

Methods and systems are provided for fabricating a composite structure. In one example, the composite structure may include a honeycomb core sandwiched between face sheets. An edge of the honeycomb core may be abraded and a top face sheet may be perforated. As such, a likelihood of delamination of the composite structure during a curing step may be reduced.

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing a sensor element or an active component of a sensor element. The sensor element is applied in a field device of automation technology. The method comprises the following method steps: predetermining at least two materials with different physical and chemical properties depending on a functionality of the sensor element or the active component of the sensor element; predetermining an outer shape, into which the at least two materials should be formed, the outer shape being divided into a plurality of virtual spatial regions, wherein in each virtual spatial region the material distribution of the at least two materials occurs homogeneously and periodically according to predetermined rules corresponding to a microstructure. The method also includes steps of ascertaining the predetermined rules via a computer supported method depending on the predetermined functionality of the sensor element or the active component of the sensor element.

Methods for manufacturing composite components having complex geometries are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a method includes laying up each of a plurality of laminates to an initial shape with a substantially planar geometry or a gently curved geometry. Then, a laid up laminate is formed to a final shape for each predefined section defined by the composite component to be manufactured. Thereafter, the laminates formed to their respective final shapes are stacked to build up the complex geometry of the composite component. Next, the composite component can be cured and finish machined as necessary to form the completed composite component.

An automated manufacturing method and system and in-mold coated plastic article produced thereby are provided. The system includes a combination compression and injection mold and a plurality of program-controlled manipulators. An automatic sprayer supported on a first manipulator sprays at least a portion of a mold surface with an in-mold coating composition. An end effector supported on a second manipulator picks up a heated blank of moldable plastic sheet material from an oven and places the heated blank in the mold. An inner portion of the heated blank is forced into an article-defining cavity of the mold and into contact with at least a portion of the composition. The composition and the inner portion cure and bond to one another and a plastic compatible with the plastic of the sheet is injected into the mold so as to form the coated plastic article.

Disclosed herein are articles comprising: (a) a glass micro sheet having top and bottom surfaces and a thickness of about 0.001 to about 0.040 inches; and (b) a layer comprising a plurality of composite layers, the layer having top and bottom surfaces, wherein the bottom layer of the glass micro sheet is bonded to the top surface of the layer comprising a plurality of composite layers; and wherein the (Ra) of the top surface of the glass micro sheet is 1 nm<Ra<1 μm, and methods of making same.

The present disclosure provides a light-weight flexible high-thermal-conductivity nano-carbon composite film and a method for preparing same. The nano-carbon composite film includes a plurality of composite units laminated sequentially. The composite unit includes flexible adhesive layers and a graphene film layer, and the flexible adhesive layers are disposed on both sides of the graphene film layer. The preparation method includes sequentially laminating the composite units and hot pressing to obtain the nano-carbon composite film. The nano-carbon composite film has the characteristics of high thermal conductivity, light weight and flexibility, and has an in-plane thermal conductivity of up to 500 W/m.Math.K or higher, a density of 2.0 g/cm.sup.3 or less, and still a thermal conductivity of 500 W/m.Math.K or higher after the nano-carbon composite film is repeatedly bent by 180° for 50 times while there is no peeling of graphene from the surface.

A method for manufacturing a semifinished product or component is disclosed in which a metal support embodied as a split strip is covered with at least one prepreg containing a thermally cross-linkable thermosetting matrix with endless fibers, the thermosetting matrix of the prepreg is pre-cross-linked by means of heating, and the metal support covered with the pre-cross-linked prepreg is formed into a semifinished product or component by means of roll forming. In order to enable plastic deformation in fiber-reinforced regions of the metal support, it is proposed that during the pre-cross-linking of the thermosetting matrix of the prepreg, its matrix is transferred into a viscosity state that is higher than its minimum viscosity and prior to reaching its gel point, the prepreg is formed together with the metal support.