A tacking device may comprise: a handle; a main body extending from a first end of the handle to a second end of the handle; and a plurality of soldering irons, each soldering iron in the plurality of soldering irons extending from a first side of the main body through the main body to a second side of the main body, each soldering iron in the plurality of soldering irons including a piercing end disposed on the second side of the main body.

A tool for creating a self-stiffened panel, which comprises a support, a set of punches and a channel delimited between two punches, for each punch, a first securing arrangement including a slider that is able to move in translation on the support and at least one hook secured to the slider, and a second securing arrangement including at least one nose integral with the punch, and an actuating arrangement that moves the slider from a securing position in which each nose is located between the support and a hook, to a release position in which the hooks are offset with respect to the noses. With such a tool, each punch is held in position over its length, which ensures correct positioning during lay-up, even in the event of the tool being rotated.

A method for making a first ply for laying up a fibrous preform on a tool. An attachment zone is made on the laying up surface of the tool. The zone is integral with the laying up surface of the tool. A polymer is deposited by additive manufacturing on the surface of the tool. The polymer deposit passes on the attachment zone. The first ply is laid up by activating the tackiness of the polymer deposited using additive manufacturing, so as to make the deposited fibers adhere to the material deposited by additive manufacturing.

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 method for manufacturing a composite using an adhesive for attaching different layers of fiber material in a correct position is provided. The method includes at least partly dissolving the adhesive by wetting the adhesive with a thermoset resin containing components acting as solvents for the adhesive. The adhesive may include a thermoplastic adhesive with functional groups, which can react with a thermoset resin. Preferably, the adhesive can be made from the same base resin as the thermoset resin for optimal compatibility. Moreover, the adhesive can also be used to reduce the permeability of a material, for example of a fiber package for handling using a semi-vacuum.

A device for manufacturing a stiffened panel with reinforcements which each have a final thickness and a final height. The manufacturing device includes tools configured to each support a preform of fibers having a U-shaped or C-shaped cross section with a base and two wings. Each tool comprises, at at least one of its first and second lateral faces, a set-back portion which, when two tools are juxtaposed, delimits a recess configured to form a reinforcement during a consolidation or polymerization step. The tools are dimensioned such that each recess has a width, at the consolidation or polymerization temperature, that is substantially equal to the thickness of the reinforcements. This solution makes it possible to more effectively control the geometry of the stiffened panel by avoiding the formation of beads. A method for manufacturing a stiffened panel using the device is also disclosed.

A composite charge is formed between two compression dies into a composite laminate stiffener. The stiffener is contoured along its length by contouring the dies. Wrinkle diffusers attached to, or embedded or incorporated into the tool surfaces of the dies, diffuse wrinkles formed on the inside radius of the stiffener during the contouring.

A process for the production of fiber composite hollow SMC components is provided. In the process an SMC-suitable semi-finished fiber composite material is arranged over or around a wash-removable salt core system. The semi-finished fiber composite material and core system are arranged in an SMC mold, followed by molding of an SMC component incorporating the semi-finished fiber composite material and core system. The wash-removable salt may then be removed by washing to result in an SMC component containing a hollow region.

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.