Disclosed embodiments provide automated fiber placement techniques for fabrication of parts made from composite materials. A peening system with multiple pins provides compaction over irregular surfaces, providing superior performance as compared with traditional compaction rollers. The apparatus that carries out the techniques include a tape dispensing system, a heating system, a peening system, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of: dispensing a first ply of thermoplastic composite tape over a mandrel; dispensing a second ply of thermoplastic composite tape on the first ply; and peening the second ply onto the first ply, such that the second ply is bonded to the first ply.

A system and a method for manufacturing laminated composite components is described. The system may include a cutting station configured to separate component layers from a ply of composition material according to a predefined pattern, a build station configured to stack the component layers according to a predetermined orientation, and a finishing station configured to compact the stacked component layers and provide the laminated composite component to an installation station.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating a preform for a fuselage section of an aircraft. The method includes advancing a series of arcuate mandrel sections in a process direction through an assembly line, laying up fiber reinforced material onto the arcuate mandrel sections via layup stations, uniting the series of arcuate mandrel sections into a combined mandrel; and splicing the fiber reinforced material laid-up onto the arcuate mandrel sections.

An embodiment system for molding a plurality of plastic composite material panels to be assembled on a vehicle body includes a coextrusion unit configured to manufacture a multi-layered sheet in which a plurality of resin layers are laminated, a thermoforming unit configured to manufacture a forming sheet having a plurality of panel forming portions partitioned by a forming connection portion by thermoforming the multi-layered sheet, a reinforcing source spraying unit configured to spray a reinforcing source in which a fiber material and a polyurethane compound are mixed toward a preset region on the forming sheet, and a press-molding unit configured to press-mold the forming sheet applied with the reinforcing source to manufacture a composite material panel sheet in which a reinforcing layer is formed on the forming sheet.

Disclosed is an automated fiber placement (AFP) device for preform manufacturing. The AFP device includes a feeder configured to feed a sheet-type fiber composite material, a molding part configured to mold a sheet-type structure by allowing a roller member to compress the sheet-type fiber composite material, and a compressing part configured to compress an upper surface of the structure, thereby disposing the sheet-type structure on a substrate in a state of maintaining the shape of the sheet-type structure. Particular, the compressing part moves from one end to the other end of the substrate, thereby compressing the sheet-type structure.

In one aspect, there is a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including a first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; a second skin; and a honeycomb core disposed between the first skin and the second skin, the honeycomb core comprised of a plurality of honeycomb panels positioned along the longitudinal axis of the first skin, the plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; wherein the second skin and the honeycomb core have an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising: reducing a bulk factor of chips of chopped fiber while forming the chips into a pre-consolidated charge; shaping portions of the pre-consolidated charge into shaped volumetric charges that fit within a die; and compression molding the shaped volumetric charges within the die.

Embodiments presented provide for a method of making as well as an apparatus for holding a hydraulic fracturing plug in a desired position within a wellbore. The hydraulic fracturing plug is configured with a slip and wedge system to maintain the desired position within the wellbore.

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may provide Automated Tape (or Tow) Placement (ATP) systems including machine-based parts that support prepreg tape laying processes to build composite parts. Various embodiments may be applied to materials that may be consolidated during fabrication and/or may be used to fabricate parts that may require post processing steps.

A system (15) for manufacturing a reinforcing element (1) for reinforced concrete comprises a feeder (16) of a reinforcing fiber bundle (2) along a pultrusion path (4), an impregnating device (17) which impregnates the reinforcing fiber bundle (2) with a liquid thermoplastic polymeric resin (6) to obtain an impregnated fiber bundle (2), a forming channel (8) through which the impregnated fiber bundle (2) is conducted, a solidification device (19) of the composite thread (9) forming a solidified thermoplastic fiber-reinforced bar (11), a pulling device (20) which holds the reinforcing fiber bundle (2) taut along the pultrusion path (4), a winder (21) which winds the solidified bar (11) to form a coil (14), a provisional bending device (22) which bends the composite thread (9) not yet solidified or heats the solidified bar (11) to soften it, bends the heated bar (11) and then cools the bar (11) to solidify it again, so as to confer a continuous provisional curvature to the solidified bar (11) in the direction of the subsequent winding in the coil (14).