Disclosed is a method of resistance welding between composite articles. A conductive element is provided between faying surfaces, having a plurality of lower resistivity electrode portions spaced apart along the length of the contact area between the composite articles. The electrode portions can be used to spot weld across the electrode portions, and along a longitudinal portion of the conductive element between the electrode portions by application of an electrical current. Also disclosed are apparatus for use in the resistance welding methods and composite articles and structures and elements incorporating the conductive element.

A golf club head includes a striking face, a crown and a sole. The crown and/or the sole includes an FRP member formed by a fiber reinforced plastic that contains a fiber and a matrix resin. The FRP member has an average flexural modulus of greater than or equal to 25 GPa. The fiber may contain a carbon fiber. The carbon fiber may have a tensile elastic modulus of greater than or equal to 300 GPa. The fiber may contain a metallic fiber. The FRP member may have a resin content of less than or equal to 40% by weight. The matrix resin may have a glass transition temperature of higher than or equal to 150° C.

In a preferred embodiment, a composite panel with a smooth outer surface, ready for painting with or without addition of primer, may be created by constructing a panel layup assembly upon a mold, the panel layup assembly including a composite panel having a core and a resin formulation, and a release film between the mold and the composite panel, where a smooth release surface of the release film is in contact with the composite panel upon construction; initiating curing of the composite panel at a first temperature within a lowermost ten percent of a curing temperature range of the resin formulation; continuing curing of the composite panel at a second temperature above the lowermost ten percent of the curing temperature range; and completing curing of the composite panel at a third temperature below the second temperature.

A composite article including a plurality of layers each comprising bundles of fibers separated by spaces; pins bonded to a side of at least one of bundles and extending or built through the spaces between the layers; and a resin combined with the layers and the pin. The pins form a physical barrier preventing or reducing propagation of cracks in an x-y plane of the composite article.

A method for surface preparation of a composite substrate prior to adhesive bonding. The surface preparation method includes applying a resin-containing peel ply onto a composite substrate, followed by co-curing. The resin-containing peel ply contains a non-removable textile carrier and a removable woven fabric embedded therein. After co-curing, the peel ply is removed from the composite substrate such that the removable woven fabric is removed but the non-removable textile carrier and a film of residual resin remain on the composite substrate, thereby creating a modified, bondable surface on the composite substrate. The composite substrate with the modified surface can be bonded to another composite substrate, whereby the textile carrier remains an integrated part of the final bonded structure.

A surface preparation method (200) for a composite material (104) having an original surface (110), the material (104) comprising fibres (104a) within a matrix (104b), comprises removing (204) a surface portion of the matrix (104b) by plasma ablation so as to reveal and activate (206) a new surface (120) with at least a portion of a plurality of the fibres (104a) exposed thereon, without creating a residual heat-affected zone.

A handrail has a thermoplastic body having a generally C-shaped cross section, a stretch inhibitor in the thermoplastic body above a T-shaped slot and a slider fabric layer. The handrail includes first and second end portions, each comprising a forward part extending from an end surface of the end portion and a rear part adjacent the forward part. A method of forming a joint can include: providing cuts to separate a top section of the thermoplastic body from a base section including shoulder portions; for each end portion, removing at least shoulder portions from the forward part thereof, to leave a central portion including a forward part at the slider fabric layer and a layer of thermoplastic; cutting the forward parts to a required shape; and assembling the first and second end portions together to form a spliced joint for moulding.

To achieve universal welding of thermoplastic workpiece parts with simple equipment, an infrared light transmission welding method is disclosed in which simple polychromatic, incoherent infrared light is generated by a simple infrared light source and is directed through a first workpiece part to a weld point for the purposes of connection to a second workpiece part. In particular, the infrared light is directed through a transparent bracing element.

A composite pressure vessel that includes a monolayer liner and a reinforcing structure arranged on top of the liner. The liner is made by injection moulding and includes at least two shells weldable together. Each shell is made of a polymer composition including at least 45% by weight of an aromatic polyamide relative to the total weight of the polymer composition, and at least 10% by weight of an aliphatic polyamide relative to the total weight of the polymer composition.

A heat sink for use in induction welding includes a number of tiles, where the tiles are electrically non-conductive and thermally conductive, a joint flexibly joining the tiles together, and a fluid path formed through the heat sink for communicating a coolant therethrough.