A method of forming a hose assembly is disclosed. The hose assembly includes a multilayer tube having an inner layer comprising a first polymeric material and an outer layer comprising a second polymeric material and defining an outer peripheral surface. The hose assembly also includes a reinforcing layer comprising reinforcing fibers and disposed about and embedded in the outer peripheral surface of the multilayer tube. The method comprises the steps of extruding the multilayer tube, and disposing reinforcing fibers about the outer peripheral surface of the multilayer tube to form a reinforced multilayer tube. The method also includes the steps of heating the reinforced multilayer tube to a temperature which is greater than a peak melting temperature of the second polymeric material, and cooling the reinforced multilayer tube to solidify the melted outer layer and embed the reinforcing layer in the outer layer to form the hose assembly.

A composite truss structure may have a first facesheet, a second facesheet, and a plurality of truss elements joined with the first facesheet and the second facesheet at nodes to form a one-piece structure. The composite truss structure may be formed by a method comprising preparing a dry fabric mold by: 1) placing a first dry fabric layer on a tool, 2) placing a first layer of fabric-loaded mandrels on the first dry fabric layer, 3) placing a second layer of the fabric-loaded mandrels on the first layer of fabric-loaded mandrels, and 4) placing a second dry fabric layer over the fabric-loaded mandrels. The method may further comprise infusing the dry fabric mold with a resin, and curing the resin to provide the nonflexible composite truss structure.

A method of forming a hose assembly is disclosed. The hose assembly comprises a tube formed from a polymeric material and defining an outer peripheral surface, and a reinforcing layer disposed about the outer peripheral surface of the tube. The reinforcing layer comprises reinforcing fibers and a binder formed from binding fibers. The method includes the steps of extruding the tube, forming a commingled braid from the reinforcing fibers and the binding fibers, and disposing the commingled braid about the outer peripheral surface of the tube to form a reinforced tube. The method also includes the steps of heating the reinforced tube to a temperature (T.sub.1) equal to or greater than a peak melting temperature of the binding fibers to at least partially melt the binding fibers, and cooling the reinforced tube to solidify the melted binding fibers and form the hose assembly.

A protective textile sleeve having enhanced end fray resistance and being adapted to be bonded to an elongate member extending therethrough, and method of construction thereof, are provided. The sleeve has a wall with a cavity bounded by an innermost surface extending between opposite open ends. A first material, including a hot melt adhesive material, facilitating bonding the wall to an outer surface of an elongate member extending therethrough, is bonded to the wall immediately adjacent the opposite ends, and a second material, facilitating prevention of end fray of the wall ends, including an elastomeric material is bonded to the wall immediately adjacent the opposite ends.

A method of manufacturing a composite structure includes providing a mandrel comprising a base part and at least one conical part. The base part comprises an elongate shaft. The base part of the mandrel comprises a cylindrical surface around a longitudinal axis of the base part. The at least one conical part extends from the cylindrical surface of the base part. The mandrel and a braiding machine are moved relative to one another such that fibre tows are braided over at least the base part of the mandrel. The mandrel and the braiding machine are arranged such that during the braiding process, none of the fibre tows intersect with a vertex of the at least one conical part of the mandrel.

The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle comprising a steering shaft which is mounted in a steering shaft mounting unit and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and comprising a support unit for connecting the steering shaft mounting unit to the body of the motor vehicle. At least one component of the steering column is composed at least partially of a fiber-reinforced composite material and the component lies in the flux of force between the steering column and the body. The component is provided with at least one pultrusion layer which has multiple fibers produced by pultrusion as reinforcing fibers, said fibers being oriented parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

Process for manufacturing a tubular element of composite material with non-circular cross-section including the following steps: (a) pre-production of a semi-finished product of reinforcing fibre braided sleeve (10); (b) insertion of said braided sleeve (10) onto a support mandrel (M) which outer cross-section corresponds to the inner non-circular cross-section of said tubular element; (c) resin-impregnation and polymerization of said braided sleeve (10) on the mandrel (M) in a mould which inner cross-section corresponds to the outer non-circular cross-section of said tubular element; and (d) extraction of the thus obtained tubular element with non-circular cross-section from said support mandrel (M); and tubular element of composite material with non-circular cross-section obtained by said process.

A liquid acrylic resin used in reactive thermoplastic pultrusion that produces a nanocomposite/fiber-reinforced hybrid composite structure with relatively high tensile strength and high flexural strength compared to thermoplastic fiber-reinforced composites made using resin transfer molding processes. The resin is made of 70-90% methyl methacrylate, 10-30% polymeric viscosity-promoting agent, a 0.1-10% nano clay, a nitro compound retarder and an internal lubricant. The pultrusion process is carried out in a pultrusion machine that uses a relatively high percentage of fibers. The fibers are submerged in a resin bath and delivered to a curing die. Before manufacturing the resin, the inhibitor for the monomer is removed using an Alumina column and replaced with the nitro retarder. The nano clay is added to promote the reaction rate. Any resin and pultruded wastes produced during the manufacturing process can be processed and reused. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a composite made of the liquid acrylic resin and pultrusion dies systems.

An expandable sheath is disclosed herein, which has a first polymeric layer and a braided layer positioned radially outward of the first polymeric layer. The braided layer includes a plurality of filaments braided together. The expandable sheaths further include a resilient elastic layer positioned radially outward of the braided layer. The elastic layer is configured to apply radial force to the braided layer and the first polymeric layer. The expandable sheath further includes a second polymeric layer positioned radially outward of the elastic layer and bonded to the first polymeric layer such that the braided layer and the elastic layer are encapsulated between the first and second polymeric layers. Methods of making and using the devices disclosed herein are also disclosed, as are crimping devices that may be used in methods of making the devices disclosed herein.

A method and apparatus for forming a stiffened thermoplastic panel is presented. The method may comprise placing a number of forming tools within a number of concave areas of a thermoplastic preform. The method may also place the thermoplastic preform with the number of forming tools within the number of concave areas on a thermoplastic lay-up to form a workpiece. The method may also position the workpiece within a tool. The tool may have a number of die liners configured to generate heat in response to a magnetic field. The method may also consolidate the workpiece to form the stiffened thermoplastic panel. Consolidating may comprise applying a magnetic field to the number of die liners to heat the workpiece to a consolidation temperature.