An insert, a floating nut and methods for use thereof in a panel of an aircraft are presented. Specifically, an insert includes a housing defining a cavity. An aperture is further defined in a first end of the housing and a semi-spherical portion is defined at a second end of the housing. A pair of vent openings are also defined on opposing sides of the first end of the housing.

A motor vehicle roof shell having a rigid composite component having an inner side facing a vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component. The panel-type rigid composite component has at least one tray-like recess on its inner side, said recess being filled with an open-pored foam material which forms the acoustic insulation layer and whose surface is flush with a surface of the composite component surrounding the recess. A motor vehicle roof shell motor vehicle having a panel-type rigid composite component having an inner side, which faces the vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component, wherein the acoustic insulation layer is formed by at least one rigid-foam or semi-rigid-foam plate which is bonded to the inner side of the composite component and compressed that its volume is reduced compared to preassembly state.

A process for manufacturing an acoustic panel including at least one acoustically resistive layer, at least one cellular structure and a reflective wall. The process includes steps of depositing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, depositing a film made of thermoplastic resin that is miscible with the thermosetting composite at the polymerization temperature of the thermosetting composite, polymerizing the parts of the acoustic panel made of thermosetting composite, and depositing and consolidating at least one layer made of thermoplastic composite against the film made of thermoplastic resin in order to form the reflective wall.

A tool for curing and bonding a honeycomb stack with void filler. The tool has a first tool piece with a cavity for receiving layers of unfilled honeycomb material and a second tool piece with a cavity for receiving at least one layer of void-filled honeycomb. The tool also has a compression seal arrangement that creates gas-tight seals between the first tool piece, second tool piece, and a barrier layer positioned between them, with a further seal covering the cavity of the first tool piece to form a gas-tight sealed volume including the first cavity, a pressure plate to cover the cavity of the second tool piece to apply pressure to the void-filled honeycomb, with a further seal to cover the pressure plate to form a gas-tight sealed volume including the second cavity.

A motor vehicle roof shell having a rigid composite component having an inner side facing a vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component. The panel-type rigid composite component has at least one tray-like recess on its inner side, said recess being filled with an open-pored foam material which forms the acoustic insulation layer and whose surface is flush with a surface of the composite component surrounding the recess. A motor vehicle roof shell motor vehicle having a panel-type rigid composite component having an inner side, which faces the vehicle interior, and an acoustic insulation layer disposed on the inner side of the composite component, wherein the acoustic insulation layer is formed by at least one rigid-foam or semi-rigid-foam plate which is bonded to the inner side of the composite component and compressed that its volume is reduced compared to preassembly state.

A structural component for an aircraft or spacecraft, comprising: a planar member; a reinforcing member which projects from the planar member and is rigidly connected thereto; the reinforcing member comprising at least a foam layer and a cover layer, a plurality of pins extending at least through the foam layer and the cover layer, and at least the pins and the cover layer comprising a curable matrix.

In a method and a system for producing a panel product device, in which a panel pre-product is provided, comprising at least one recess formed in a panel surface and having a delimitation, and at least one insert element is provided, intended for anchoring in at least one of the recesses, the system comprises automated means for inserting the insert element into the recess in the panel pre-product, and automated means for filling an intermediate space between the insert element and the delimitation of the recess with a curable or curing filling fluid. In a method and a system for testing the loading resistance of the connection between the insert element and the recess in the panel surface of the panel pre-product, a variable tensile testing force is applied in an automated manner to the insert element up to a predetermined tensile testing force. Finally, a set of auxiliary assembly tools for use in the production method or system is provided, comprising a covering and positioning device for inserting and positioning the insert element in the recess and a connecting device for releasably connecting the insert element to the covering and positioning device.

A method of fastening an edge structure to a construction element includes providing the construction element, being a planar structure with two cover regions and a middle region between the cover regions; providing the edge structure being continuously extended, the edge structure having contact surfaces with a thermoplastic material shaped to lie against the cover regions in an outer surface of the construction element, and, opposite the contact surfaces, a coupling-in surface for coupling energy into the edge structure; coupling energy into the edge structure and pressing the contact surfaces against the cover regions until at least a portion of the thermoplastic material is liquefied and pressed into the cover regions; and repeating or continuing the steps of coupling and pressing until the edge structure is attached to the building element at a plurality of discrete locations or over an extended region along an edge of the construction element.

An automated fastener insert installation system for composite panels is provided. A first module receives and secures a composite panel with respect to an origin of a first coordinate system, wherein the composite panel has opposed major surfaces and defines an insert-receiving orifice extending through one of the major surfaces, and is secured such that one of the major surfaces is externally accessible. A second module engages each of a plurality of fastener inserts with an installation aide. Third module determines a configuration of the orifice defined by the composite panel, selects a corresponding one of the fastener inserts engaged with the installation aide, inserts the selected fastener insert into the orifice, and dispenses an adhesive material through the installation aide and into the orifice about selected fastener insert such that the adhesive material secures the selected fastener insert within the orifice. Associated systems are also provided.

A method of anchoring a connector in a first object includes providing the connector, the connector having a liquefiable material that is liquefiable by mechanical vibration, such as a thermoplastic material, bringing the connector into contact with low density layer that has an arrangement of discrete elements and gas-filled (empty) spaces between the discrete elements, pressing the connector against the low density layer and coupling mechanical vibration energy into the connector to cause the connector to penetrate into the low density layer to deform the discrete elements, until a flow portion of the liquefiable material becomes flowable and is caused to interpenetrate spaces between the deformed discrete elements so that an intertwined structure of the liquefiable material and the deformed discrete elements results, and stopping the mechanical vibration energy and causing the flow portion to re-solidify to anchor the connector in the low density layer.