The bonding apparatus of the present invention is an apparatus that bonds a patch containing a reinforcing fiber to a bonded section of a corner section CR of an object member. The bonding apparatus has s heater mat, a pushing member, a bag member having a decompression port, a mold releasing film, a breather, a heater mat and a sealant. A pushing member has a first cowl plate, a second cowl plate and an elastic pressuring body. A pressuring section of the pushing member has the surface shape corresponding to a corner section design value after the patch is bonded. By protruding from a gap between a first cowl plate and a second cowl plate to a direction of the corner section CR, the patch is pushed to the bonded section and the generation of a wrinkle in the reinforcing fiber can be prevented.

A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.

A hinged component fabrication method in which, in a layup stage of fabrication, the component includes a live hinge joining uncured material portions together at a hinge region and comprising a layer of tensile fabric at least partially infiltrated by an uncured elastomer layer at least partially interposed between the tensile fabric and the uncured material portions such that the uncured elastomer blocks the uncured material portions from infiltrating the hinge region. The method may include locating overlapped tensile fabric and elastomer layers in a tool and introducing polymer-based material into the tool such that polymer-based material portions overlap respective opposite ends of the fabric and elastomer layers. The polymer-based material portions are formed to a desired shape using the forming tool so that the fabric and elastomer layers form a live hinge between the polymer-based material portions.

A method for integrating a fitting (110) fitted between two wings of a composite profile (100) comprising the steps of: i) obtaining a preform of a fitting impregnated with a thermosetting resin, comprising two flanges (111) and a rib (114); ii) pre-curing the laminate preform of the fitting to obtain a partial polymerization of the preform; iii) laying up a laminate preform of the profile so that fibers impregnated with a thermosetting resin included in two of the wings of the laminate preform of the profile are laid up over the two flanges of the preform of the partially polymerized fitting; and iv) completely polymerizing an assembly comprising the laminate preform of the profile and the laminate preform of the partially polymerized fitting while maintaining into contact the flanges of the laminate preform of the fitting with the wings of the laminate preform of the profile.

The invention also pertains to a tooling for implementing the method and a wing spar obtained by this method.

A method of forming a reinforced panel may include engaging a reinforcement component having a faying surface with a first portion of a heated press, engaging an uncured panel component with an opposing second portion of the press, the panel component having a faying surface complementarily-configured with respect to the faying surface of the reinforcement component, treating the faying surface of the reinforcement component such that the faying surface is active for co-bonding with respect to the panel component, actuating the press to direct the first and second portions of the press toward each other, such that the faying surfaces are complementarily engaged under pressure; and heating the first and second portions of the press to a curing temperature associated with the panel component to substantially simultaneously co-bond the faying surfaces of the reinforcement component and the panel component together, cure the panel component, and form the reinforced panel.

System includes a first object having an energy-assisted bonding (EAB) mechanism along a surface of the first object. The EAB mechanism includes a heat-activatable adhesive layer and a carbon-filled (CF) sheet material. The CF sheet material is electrically conductive for resistive heating. A control sub-system is configured to control a coupling actuator to drive an actuator body toward the first object, wherein the actuator body and the first object engage each other. The coupling actuator is configured to apply pressure to the EAB mechanism along the surface of the first object. The control sub-system is also configured to control the power source to apply a current through the CF sheet material of the EAB mechanism to provide thermal energy through resistive heating that activates the adhesive layer along the interface.

A method for forming a composite part of a gas turbine engine. The method includes assembling the composite part of a first composite material and a second composite material. The second composite material defines an outer surface of the composite part, and is selected to be curable at a cure temperature generated by heat from operation of the engine. The first composite material is selected to have an operating temperature limit less than the cure temperature. The method includes placing the composite part within the engine so that, in use, the second composite material is cured by exposure to the heat generated from operation of the engine. The second composite material thermally shields the first composite material from the heat generated from operation of the engine. The method includes operating the engine to cure the second composite material.

A coated composite component includes, in this order, a composite component, a fluorine-containing film and/or a fluorine-containing woven fabric, knitted fabric or crocheted fabric, and a tear-off fabric. A method for producing a coated composite component including, in this order, a composite component, a fluorine-containing film and/or a fluorine-containing woven fabric, knitted fabric or crocheted fabric, and a tear-off fabric.

A method for joining structural elements to a component made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material, includes providing at least two structural elements made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material having a particular matrix; providing at least one film element made of a thermoplastic heavy-duty material; arranging the at least one film element on a surface of one of the structural elements or between surfaces to be joined of the at least two structural elements to be joined; and producing the component to be joined in a curing process.

Disclosed are thermoset/thermoplastic composites that include a thermoset component directly or indirectly bonded to a thermoplastic component via a crosslinked binding layer between the two. The crosslinked binding layer is bonded to the thermoplastic component via epoxy linkages and is either directly or indirectly bonded to the thermoset component via epoxy linkages. The composite can be a laminate and can provide a route for addition of a thermoplastic implant to a thermoset structure.