A process for manufacturing a fibre-plastic composite with a secured fibre orientation, wherein continuous fibres or long fibres are oriented and sheathed with a matrix, characterized by the steps of (a) providing a mold comprising at least one flow channel, (b) introducing the continuous fibres or long fibres into the at least one flow channel, (c) positioning and orienting the continuous fibres or long fibres in the at least one flow channel by way of a pressure gradient in the flow channel, (d) sheathing the continuous fibres or long fibres with a matrix.

A manufacturing method for a fibrous composite bicycle rim , and a tool having two molding devices and one circular device. The two molding devices each have one flank contact surface. A molding device is selected and a matching auxiliary molding part is connected therewith, forming a mold surface for the rim base. A first fiber composite layer is applied to the molding device and the auxiliary molding part. The other molding device is covered with a first fiber composite layer, forming the layer of the other rim flank. A circular device is formed of annular segments has a circumferential rim well contact surface and is covered by a first fiber layer, which forms the rim well. The circular device and the molding devices are connected. The fibrous composite material is allowed to set, the annular segments and the molding devices are removed, and the rim is taken out.

A method of making a composite part comprises covering a mold tool for a composite part with a parting film, the parting film comprising a polymer sheet and a pressure sensitive adhesive. The parting film is positioned so that the polymer sheet is between the mold tool and the pressure sensitive adhesive. At least one layer of pre-preg is layed up on the parting film covering the mold tool to form a layed-up composite part. The pre-preg comprises an adhesive. The layed-up composite part is removed from the parting film.

A fiber preform for use in a resin transfer molding or liquid composite molding process and process of making the same are provided. The preform includes a substrate, a fiber bundle arranged on the substrate in a predetermined pattern and attached to the substrate by a plurality of stitches of a thread. The fiber preform is capable of being pre-formed into a three-dimensional shape. The fiber preform along with a sheet of preformed thermoset resin that impregnates at least a portion of the fiber preform forms a composite material. The fiber preform reinforces areas of stress concentration of a core to form a vehicle component.

A system for forming material includes a housing including at least one wall defining an interior space. The housing is configured to contain a pressurized fluid in the interior space. The system also includes at least one tool configured to shape the material. The at least one tool is movable along a path from a first position external to the housing to a second position at least partially within the interior space. The system further includes a membrane extending at least partially in the path of the at least one tool.

Compaction systems and methods of compacting components are provided. In one aspect, a laminate of a component can be laid up on a tool of a compaction system. The laminate defines a cavity. A noodle is positioned relative to or in the cavity. A noodle ring is then positioned relative to the noodle. For instance, the noodle ring can be placed over the noodle. A cross section of the noodle ring can be shaped complementary to a cross section of the noodle. A plunger of the compaction system is moved so that it engages the noodle ring. Particularly, the plunger is moved in such a way that a force is applied on the noodle ring so that the noodle ring compacts the noodle into the cavity.

The invention relates to a method for verifying the positioning of a fibrous preform in a blade, the blade having been obtained by injecting a resin into a mould having the shape of a blade and in which a preform has been placed, the blade extending in an orthonormal blade frame of reference X, Y, Z, the blade comprising a blade root extending longitudinally along an axis X, a vane extending from the blade root along an axis Z, the blade having a thickness defined along an axis Y, the preform comprising glass tracers positioned at the surface of the preform, the centre of the tracers defining a neutral axis located at a height along the axis Z in the direction defined by the axis X, the method comprising the following steps: the acquisition (E31) of tomographic 2D projections of the blade using an imaging system comprising an X-ray source, each projection being acquired at a given orientation of the X-ray source with respect to the blade; the combining (E32, E32a, E32b) of the 2D projections in the direction of the axis Y so as to obtain a cumulative 2D image in the directions X and Z; the determining (E33), for each pixel column defined in the direction of the axis Z, of a greyscale profile; the processing (E34) of each of the profiles obtained so as to locate the position, in Z, of the neutral axis in the direction of the axis X.

A method for manufacturing a tube body made of fiber-reinforced resin includes: an arranging step of arranging a fiber member on an outer peripheral surface of a mandrel made of resin by filament winding method; an inflating step of placing the mandrel with the fiber member arranged on it in a mold after the arranging step and inflating the mandrel by pressurizing an interior of the mandrel with the fiber member arranged on it; and a molding step of supplying resin in the mold after the inflating step to impregnate the fiber member with the resin and curing the impregnated resin to mold a tube body.

A mold assembly includes an injection mold configured to receive a woven preform. The preform has a principal direction with at least one edge extending substantially along the principal direction. The mold assembly is configured to allow the impregnation of the preform with a resin injected into the mold. The mold assembly further includes a removable longitudinal element for the injection mold, wherein said longitudinal element is configured to cooperate with the preform and conformed as a profiled member configured to be arranged in contact with the mold along at least the segment of the edge of the preform in order to prevent the pinching of free fibers extending from the edge of the preform between the two parts of the mold.

Forming systems and methods for drape forming a composite charge are disclosed herein. The forming systems include a forming die having a forming surface and a collapsible support having a support surface. The collapsible support is configured to transition from an extended conformation to a collapsed conformation and is configured such that a gap width of a gap between the support surface and the forming surface decreases during the transition. The methods include positioning a composite charge, transitioning the collapsible support from an extended conformation to a collapsed conformation, decreasing the gap width of the gap as the collapsible support transitions from the extended conformation to the collapsed conformation, and deforming the composite charge from an initial conformation to a final conformation.