A film tube installed and sealed in a hollow composite part acts as an internal vacuum bag that eliminates the need for an internal mandrel to react compaction forces applied by autoclave pressure during curing of the part.

A method for making a fuselage section comprises the steps of assembling a support system. The support system comprises fiber reinforced composite material and includes at least three frames and six stringers. The support system is partially cured such that the support system attains about eighty percent of its fully cured strength. A skin comprising fiber reinforced composite material is globally positioned such that an inner surface of the skin corresponds to an outer surface of the support system. The skin and the support system are fully cured together. The support system is assembled on a skeleton assembly tool having a bonding surface corresponding to an inner surface of the skin.

The method includes the step of passing an electric current through at least one wire that is situated between a carcass of a tire casing and a tread. The method also includes the step of calculating a value of a temperature of the wire as a function of a relative value of the current. The method proceeds with the step of controlling the current as a function of the temperature value calculated.

A grooved resin molded part which when joined to another molded part, can form a composite molded product having an enhanced strength. This part contains an inorganic filler and has multiple grooves formed by partially removing the resin, such that the filler is exposed in these grooves. The depth of the grooves may be at least one-half of the length of the grooves in the shorter direction. The filler may have a fibrous shape; and the longer direction of the filler may be different from that of the grooves. The part is obtained by subjecting a resin molded part containing the filler to laser irradiation or the like to form multiple grooves in which the filler is exposed.

According to one implementation, a composite material structure includes a first member and a second member. The first member has at least one first bonded surface. The second member has at least one second bonded surface to be bonded to the at least one first bonded surface. The second member is made of a composite material. At least one surface formed by fibers forming the composite material is used as the at least one second bonded surface by disposing end portions of the fibers, in the first member side, inside the composite material.

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.

The invention relates to a method for producing a semi-finished product or component (2), in which a hardenable coating (6, 17) with fiber-reinforced plastic is applied to a metal carrier (3), particularly a metal sheet (4), and the coated metal carrier (3) is formed, particularly deep-drawn or bent, in a subsequent step to produce a semi-finished product or component (2). According to the invention, for an improved and cost-effective method, the metal carrier (3) is coated at most only in certain regions and is only subjected to the forming when the coating thereof (6, 17) has hardened to produce at least a block-resistant surface (12), the coated metal carrier (3) being formed such that the plastic changes in shape follow forming radii (21) and are produced substantially, preferably exclusively, in the coating-free regions (15) of the metal carrier.

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for customizing microwave energy distribution within a chamber to accommodate various load characteristics. Aspects of the present invention customized configurations of ports, deflectors, waveguides, conducting rods, and slots to shape and distribute energy.

A method of joining a first element in composite material with a second element in composite material to define a structural component of an aircraft comprising arranging the first element in contact on the second element; applying a non-rigid heating layer on the first element; applying a layer of shape memory thermoplastic polymer, pre-loaded in a compressed non-equilibrium condition, onto the heating layer; applying a vacuum bag to the assembly thus obtained; sealing the vacuum bag to define a vacuum chamber housing the first element, at least part of the second element, the heating layer and the shape memory layer; applying vacuum inside the vacuum chamber; applying heat to the first element, to the second element and to the shape memory layer by activating the heating layer; expanding the shape memory layer from the compressed non-equilibrium condition to an expanded equilibrium condition by means of the step of applying heat.