A heated composite structure and a method for forming a heated composite structure. The structure includes carbon fibers embedded within a thermoplastic matrix. The carbon fibers are connected with first and second electrodes that are configured to be connected with an electric source such that applying current to the electrodes causes current to flow through the embedded carbon fibers to provide resistive heating sufficient to heat the composite structure to impede formation of ice on the composite structure.

A heated composite structure and a method for forming a heated composite structure. The structure includes carbon fibers embedded within a thermoplastic matrix. The carbon fibers are connected with first and second electrodes that are configured to be connected with an electric source such that applying current to the electrodes causes current to flow through the embedded carbon fibers to provide resistive heating sufficient to heat the composite structure to impede formation of ice on the composite structure.

The tooling is suitable for manufacturing a toroidal tire that has a crown, a first annular bead and a second annular bead, together with a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The, tool has a core which is provided with groove-type passages that are suitable for receiving reinforcing elements, referred to as stays. The stays are designed to be permanently incorporated into the structure of the tire and to each extend in the cavity of the tire, thereby connecting a crown anchor point situated in the crown of the tire to a lateral anchor point situated in one of the sidewalls or beads of the tire.

A computer-implemented method of optimizing a computer model including a shape and a fiber path for a continuous fiber composite can include initializing a fixed finite element mesh. The method can also include creating an updated version of the shape and the fiber path by iterating updates of the shape and the fiber path using the fixed finite element mesh. The method can also include initializing an adapted finite element mesh on the updated version of the shape and the fiber path. The method can also include creating an optimized version of the shape and the fiber path by iterating optimizations of the shape and the fiber path using the adapted finite element mesh. The method can also include generating a specified design of the continuous fiber composite using the optimized version of the shape and the fiber path.

The present invention aims to sufficiently impregnate each layer of a fiber substrate group composed of fiber substrates, which are used for fiber-reinforced resin molding by a resin injection method, with a resin. To successively stack a plurality of fiber substrates, each of which has arrayed fiber bundles and is a material composing a fiber-reinforced resin along with a resin, with their fiber bundles oriented in the same direction, the plurality of fiber substrates are integrated in a state where border zones between the fiber bundles adjacent to each other in an array direction are aligned with one another among the fiber substrates.

A system for additively manufacturing a composite part comprises a delivery guide, movable relative to a surface. The delivery guide is configured to deposit at least a segment of a continuous flexible line along a print path. The continuous flexible line comprises a non-resin component and a thermosetting-resin component. The thermosetting-resin component comprises a first part and a second part. The non-resin component comprises a first element and a second element. The system further comprises a first resin-part applicator, configured to apply the first part to the first element, and a second resin-part applicator, configured to apply the second part to the second element. The system also comprises a feed mechanism, configured to pull the first element through the first resin-part applicator, to pull the second element through the second resin-part applicator, and to push the continuous flexible line out of the delivery guide.

A system for additively manufacturing a composite part (102) comprises a delivery guide, movable relative to a surface. The delivery guide is configured to deposit at least a segment of a continuous flexible line along a print path. The continuous flexible line comprises a non-resin component and a thermosetting resin component that comprises a first part and a second part of a thermosetting resin. The print path is stationary relative to the surface. The delivery guide comprises a first inlet configured to receive the non-resin component, and a second inlet configured to receive at least the first part of the thermosetting resin. The delivery guide is further configured to apply the first part and the second part of the thermosetting resin to the non-resin component. The system 100 further comprises a feed mechanism, configured to push the continuous flexible line out of the delivery guide.

Methods and systems are provided for generating a mold. In one embodiment, a method includes: determining, by a processor, a fiber orientation for a plurality of points in a part; determining, by the processor, a distortion value based on the fiber orientations; and generating, by the processor, mold dimensions based on the distortion values.

A method for forming a vehicle reinforcing member (26, 28, 30). The method includes conforming a planar body of fibre reinforced material (CFRM) (504), such as a sheet or unidirectional tape, to a shape of a shape defining member (506, 900). In effect, the shape defining member (506, 900) is a core that defines an internal volume of a closed cross-section portion of the vehicle reinforcing member (26, 28, 30). The CFRM material (504) comprises continuous fibres in a synthetic matrix. The method further includes bonding a first edge portion (510) of the CFRM body (504) to a second edge portion (512) of the CFRM body (504) thereby to form the closed cross-section portion of the vehicle reinforcing member (26, 28, 30). An apparatus (800) for implementing the method, and components (e.g. vehicle reinforcing members (26, 28, 30), vehicle seats (10) and so forth) formed using the method are also described.

A method of additively manufacturing a composite part comprises depositing a segment of a continuous flexible line along a print path. The continuous flexible line comprises a non-resin component and further comprises a photopolymer-resin component that is uncured. The method further comprises delivering a predetermined or actively determined amount of curing energy at least to a portion of the segment of the continuous flexible line at a controlled rate while advancing the continuous flexible line toward the print path and after the segment of the continuous flexible line is deposited along the print path to at least partially cure at least the portion of the segment of the continuous flexible line.