A method for manufacturing a structural element for a fuselage of an aircraft. To improve the manufacture of structural elements, a method includes laying up textile material members on a mandrel to form a plurality of structural element preforms that are space apart along an extended direction of the mandrel. The structural element preforms form closed loops and are subsequently cured to obtain annular structural elements. The annular structural elements are used as basic building blocks for stiffening panel members or are directly used as structural frame elements reinforcing cut-outs in a fuselage for windows and/or doors.

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque between parts of a transmission shaft system comprises a tubular section of continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material which has been modified to form a living hinge section with reduced bending stiffness to allow flexion of the tubular section. The tubular section may be modified through the provision of a pattern of formations within the living hinge section. The formations may be in the form of apertures and/or recesses in the continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material to create a plurality of living hinges in the material between, in particular slots and/or grooves.

A system includes a mandrel contoured to define a tapering tubular shape of a workpiece cured on the mandrel and a demolding tool. The demolding tool is configured to remove the workpiece from the mandrel after the workpiece is cured on the mandrel and cut longitudinally. The demolding tool is configured to remove the workpiece from the mandrel by deforming a first end of the workpiece to at least partially disengage the first end of the workpiece from a first end of the mandrel, and subsequently, deforming a second end of the workpiece to at least partially disengage the second end of the workpiece from a second end of the mandrel. The first end of the workpiece may have a first cross-sectional area that is smaller than a second cross-sectional area of the second end of the workpiece.

Methods, systems, and apparatuses are disclosed for the manufacture of composite components having incorporated reinforcing structures machined into composite material substrates, and composite components manufactured according to disclosed methods, and assemblies and larger structures comprising the composite material components.

According to one implementation, a fiber width adjustment device includes: a feeder and an adjuster. The feeder feeds a tape material in a length direction of the tape material. The tape material consists of fibers for a fiber reinforced resin after or before the fibers are impregnated with a resin. The adjuster has a path for the tape material. The path is formed by at least a bottom and a pair of wall surfaces. The interval of the wall surfaces decreased gradually. The width of the tape material which passed the path is changed by adjusting a part of the path. The tape material passes through the part of the path while contacting with the bottom and the wall surfaces.

A composite rim for a bicycle wheel that has a wall of structural fibers incorporated in a thermosetting polymeric material and a plurality of spoke attachment seats. The composite material includes at least one layer of woven bi-directional fibers where some fibers are in a nominal direction substantially parallel to the circumferential direction of the rim and some fibers are substantially orthogonal to the circumferential direction of the rim.

The present application relates to a fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet and a method for preparing the same. The fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet has on its surface a marble texture effect obtained by laminating cut pieces of a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite unidirectional tape, wherein the fibers and the resin used in the continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite unidirectional tape have different colors. The thermoplastic composite sheet may be prepared using a simple and quick method, and meet individual requirements of surface appearance of the final product.

A fiber-reinforced polymer composite assembly, that includes a plurality of sheets, each formed from a composite mixture including a fibrous material and a resin, wherein each of the first plurality of sheets are cut to one or more predetermined dimensions. The plurality of sheets are configured to form a stack, and wherein the stack is shaped by positioning the stack on a mold and pressing and consolidating/curing the stack to form a doubly-curved geometric shape. An insert may be positioned between the plurality of sheets, prior to the pressing and consolidating/curing, wherein the fibrous material may in include paper, and wherein the resin includes one of a thermoset resin or a thermoplastic resin.

Methods and manufactures disclosed herein generally relate to a cannular composite (ITC) structure composed of multiple layers of sealing, reinforcement, sensing, protection, and interspatial injected materials.

Methods, apparatus, and systems for cutting material used in fused deposition modeling systems are provided, which comprise a ribbon including one or more perforations. Material is passed through at least one perforation and movement of the ribbon cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a disk including one or more blade structures, each forming at least one cavity. Material is passed through at least one cavity and a rotational movement of the disk cuts the material. A further embodiment comprises a slider-crank mechanism including a slider coupled to a set of parallel rails of a guide shaft. The slider moves along a length of the rails to cut the material. Yet another embodiment comprises one or more rotatable blade structures coupled to at least one rod. The rotation of the blade structures causes the blade structures to intersect and cut extruded material during each rotation.