The present invention applies to a molding method for a fiber-reinforced plastic structure having an internal cavity. Firstly, grain groups, which mainly consist of a plurality of high-rigidity grains, are accommodated in bags, and a plurality of cores are formed. A reinforcing fiber substrate, is placed between the plurality of adjacent cores so as to be interposed therebetween. For example, a plurality of molding base materials are prepared by surrounding each core with a prepreg, and the plurality of molding base materials are combined and placed inside a molding die, and the molding base materials are compression molded. When compression molding, a part of the outer surface of the cores is locally pressurized, and the internal pressure of the cores is increased, changing the shape thereof, thus eliminating voids that are present between the cores and the prepreg and/or the prepreg and the molding surface of the die.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be supported by a deployment system that lowers the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets toward, and raises the plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets away from, a working surface.

A construct for a hockey stick formed from layers of fiber tape and a reinforcing nanofiber material. The nanofiber is integrated into the molded hockey stick to increase the strength and toughness of inter-laminar bonds between the fiber tape. The nanofiber may include carbon nanotubes.

A method for fabricating a composite structure. A first section for the composite structure is formed in which the first section has a first end with a chevron shape, wherein first composite layers in the first section has a first step pattern at the first end. A second section for the composite structure is formed in which the second section has a second end with a counterpart shape to the chevron shape and in which second composite layers in the second section have a second step pattern at the second end. The first end the second end are positioned such that a first composite layer in the first composite layers in the first step pattern overlap the second composite layers in the second step pattern at a splice location.

A protector protects a high-pressure fuel pump for an internal combustion engine. A metal collar is insert-molded into a plate-shaped fiber reinforced plastic portion made of a fiber reinforced plastic of the protector. An outer circumferential surface of the collar includes an uneven portion and a smooth surface. The uneven portion includes recesses and projections arranged alternately in a thickness direction of the fiber reinforced plastic portion. The smooth portion includes a smooth surface parallel to the thickness direction of the fiber reinforced plastic portion. The uneven portion and the smooth portion are arranged in the thickness direction on the outer circumferential surface of the collar.

A mold for molding a reinforced preform having at least two apertures therein includes first and second mold halves arranged with their respective first and second molding surfaces facing each other. A first emitter is disposed in the first mold half and is configured to emit light therefrom. A first receiver is disposed in the second mold half and is configured to receive light from the first emitter and produce a first signal indicative of the light received from the first emitter. A second emitter is disposed in one of the first and second mold halves and is configured to emit light therefrom. A second receiver is disposed in the other of the first and second mold halves and is configured to receive light from the second emitter and produce a second signal indicative of the light received from the second emitter.

Thermoplastic composite preforms for continuous fiber thermoplastic composite structural profiles and a system and method of manufacture for structural profiles utilizing thermoplastic filaments comingled with high strength fibers such as carbon fibers and braided into complex preforms suitable for automated press forming is disclosed. Utilizing flexible preforms in lieu of conventional rigid thermoplastic pre-preg material forms allows for manufacture of complex shapes, including both straight and curved shapes by an automated process.

The invention provides a prepreg comprising: a primary prepreg composed of reinforcing fibers and a resin composition (I) impregnating the interior of a reinforcing fiber layer formed from these fibers; and a surface layer composed of a resin composition (II) formed on one or both sides of the primary prepreg; wherein the resin composition (I) is an epoxy resin composition [B] containing at least an epoxy resin and a thermoplastic resin, and the resin composition (II) is an epoxy resin composition [A] containing at least an epoxy resin and conductive particles.

A method for producing textile composite material preforms, particularly with or from one or more textile semi-finished products, includes compression molding a planar structure of one or more textile composite materials. The planar structure is cut laterally into textile composite material sections prior to compression molding and these cut textile composite material sections undergo compression molding individually or collectively and particularly with one or more other textile composite material sections such that as a result one or more textile composite material preforms are fully or partially formed.

A processing apparatus such as a heating and/or debulking apparatus that may be used to debulk a plurality of uncured composite layers to form an article such as an aircraft component may include a plurality of interconnected smart susceptor heater blankets. The plurality of smart susceptor heater blankets may be connected in series or in parallel, and may be controlled to uniformly heat the component during formation.