An apparatus is configured to manufacture a metal-resin composite by press-molding a metal plate and a resin material. The apparatus includes an upper mold and a lower mold for sandwiching the metal plate and the resin material, and an elastic member attached to a molding surface of the lower mold. A cavity for disposing the resin material is provided by the upper mold and the lower mold. The elastic member is disposed to seal the resin material into the cavity by pressing the metal plate against the upper mold.

Polymeric composite composition including two zones (Z1) and (Z2), at least one zone of the zones (Z1) or (Z2) includes a reinforcing material (RM1), while the other zone of the zones (Z1) or (Z2) includes no reinforcing material or a reinforcing material (RM2) that is different from reinforcing material (RM1). In particular, polymeric composite composition including two zones (Z1) and (Z2) that are in direct contact, at least one zone of the zones (Z1) or (Z2) includes a reinforcing material (RM1), while the other zone of the zones (Z1) or (Z2) includes no reinforcing material or a reinforcing material (RM2) that is different from reinforcing material (RM1). Also, a process for manufacturing such a polymeric composite composition and the use. A process for manufacturing articles in form of mechanical parts or structural elements made of composite material including the polymeric composite composition.

The invention relates to a cover structure, an SMC mold as well as a method for producing a cover structure having an SMC main body which is pressed together with a flame retardant coating in an SMC mold.

A method is provided for producing an SMC component provided with a unidirectional fiber reinforced. The method includes: a) a blank of a unidirectional fiber reinforced is laid on the tool surface of a lower part of a preform tool, b) the preform tool is closed by moving a preform upper part and the preform lower part of the preform tool towards each other, thus forming the unidirectional fiber reinforced; c) the unidirectional fiber reinforced is pre-cured in the preform tool by heating; d) the removed unidirectional fiber reinforced together with at least one nondirectional SMC semi-finished product are laid in a press tool, onto the tool surface of a press tool lower part; e) the press tool is closed, wherein a press tool upper part and the press tool lower part of the press tool are moved towards each other to mold together the unidirectional fiber reinforced and the at least one non-directional SMC semi-finished product; and f) the produced SMC component is fully cured by heating.

Provided is a glass multiple-ply roving that is excellent in impregnation quality of a thermoplastic resin for a random mat and workability in production of a random mat, and can impart excellent strength to a thermoplastic composite material. The glass multiple-ply roving includes a plurality of glass strands, wherein the weight of the glass strands, S, is in the range of 64 to 210 tex, the fiber diameter of the glass strands, D, is in the range of 9.0 to 18.0 μm, the ignition loss of the glass multiple-ply roving, L, is in the range of 0.55 to 0.94%, and the S, D, and L satisfy the following formula (1):

4.10≤1000×S.sup.1/2/(D.sup.3×L.sup.3)≤7.10  (1).

A structural automotive sub frame component (10) that is formed from a sheet molding compound having carbon fibers. The three dimensional structure is formed of a resin fiber mixture having a resin material infused with carbon fibers having a length of about 12.5 mm (0.5 inches) dispersed throughout the structural automotive sub frame component (10) and an even manner such that there are no resin rich areas or knit lines present. The absence of knit lines provides a structural automotive sub frame component (10) that has a high degree of flex modulus, tensile strength properties well also providing a greater breaking load property due to the absence of knit lines.

This invention relates to the production of cured polymeric skin materials. In particular, the invention relates to methods and substrates for the production of skin materials, for example, for use in building, furniture, and as architectural components for example in roofing materials such as roofing tiles, or for brick wall effect materials.

Co-molding of non-crimped fabric and sheet molding composition. The pre-preg of non-crimped fabric is dried to achieve suitable stiffness for molding. The pre-preg allows the pre-formed non-crimped fabric feature to retain its shape during molding. A plurality of thorns is provided in the molding tooling to further prevent movement of pre-preg during molding. The method of co-molding includes, drying of the pre-preg to achieve suitable stiffness for molding, pre-forming of the pre-preg, and incorporating a plurality of stand-off features or thorns in the molding tool to prevent movement of pre-preg during co-molding so that predetermined full coverage of non-crimped fabric is maintained in predetermined area(s) of the molded part and the continuous fibers of the non-crimped fabric are not distorted.

The present invention relates to vacuum forming process for moulding a thermoset material and a start-up process for moulding a thermoset material. The present invention also relates to articles produced by the vacuum forming process.

Disclosed herein is a method of forming a composite part. The method includes heating an unconsolidated mat including a first thermoplastic, a second thermoplastic, and reinforcing fibers to a first temperature. The first thermoplastic includes a first melting temperature and the second thermoplastic includes a second melting temperature greater than the first melting temperature. The first temperature is greater than the second melting temperature. The method includes compressing the unconsolidated mat, while heated, into a composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet. The method includes reheating the composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet to a second temperature, wherein the second temperature is above the first melting temperature and below the second melting temperature and, while reheated, forming the composite fiber-reinforced consolidated sheet into a desired shape.