A fibrous preform (1) is produced, provided with a sandwich structure comprising an intermediate flexible core (4) and two outer fibrous frames (2, 3), respectively arranged on opposing outer faces of said flexible core (4) and assembled by sections of wire (8, 9) passing through said fibrous frames (2, 3), said preform (1) being impregnated with resin. Said preform is then hardened and the core (4) is removed, preferably by pre-densification with chemical vapour infiltration, and the structure produced is then densified with liquid-phase infiltration.

A fiber composite member includes an elongate main member and a fastening portion disposed at an end of the elongate main member, the fastening portion has a fastening opening for fastening the fiber composite member to a neighboring part. A reinforcement fiber bundle, which forms a fiber reinforcement of both the elongate main member and the fastening portion, has a first reinforcement fiber and a second reinforcement fiber which run substantially mutually parallel in a region of the elongate main member. A respective part of the first reinforcement fiber and the second reinforcement fiber in a transition region between the elongate main member and the fastening portion depart from a bundle profile in the region of the elongate main member and the respective parts of the first and second reinforcement fibers intersect with one another in the transition region.

A fiber composite member includes an elongate main member and a fastening portion disposed at an end of the elongate main member, the fastening portion has a fastening opening for fastening the fiber composite member to a neighboring part. A reinforcement fiber bundle, which forms a fiber reinforcement of both the elongate main member and the fastening portion, has a first reinforcement fiber and a second reinforcement fiber which run substantially mutually parallel in a region of the elongate main member. A respective part of the first reinforcement fiber and the second reinforcement fiber in a transition region between the elongate main member and the fastening portion depart from a bundle profile in the region of the elongate main member and the respective parts of the first and second reinforcement fibers intersect with one another in the transition region.

A method of making a fiber preform, and the preform, for fabricating a turbine engine blade out of composite material, the method including: making a single-piece fiber blank by three-dimensional weaving with layers of longitudinal yarns interlinked by yarns of layers of transverse yarns; and shaping the fiber blank to obtain a single-piece fiber preform including a portion forming an airfoil preform and at least one portion forming a platform preform. During weaving, yarns of a first group of longitudinal yarns are extracted from the fiber blank beside one of side faces of the blank to form a portion corresponding to a blade platform preform, and yarns of a second group of longitudinal yarns are inserted into the fiber blank with mutual crossing of the yarns of the first group and the yarns of the second group.

A method of making a fiber preform, and the preform, for fabricating a turbine engine blade out of composite material, the method including: making a single-piece fiber blank by three-dimensional weaving with layers of longitudinal yarns interlinked by yarns of layers of transverse yarns; and shaping the fiber blank to obtain a single-piece fiber preform including a portion forming an airfoil preform and at least one portion forming a platform preform. During weaving, yarns of a first group of longitudinal yarns are extracted from the fiber blank beside one of side faces of the blank to form a portion corresponding to a blade platform preform, and yarns of a second group of longitudinal yarns are inserted into the fiber blank with mutual crossing of the yarns of the first group and the yarns of the second group.

A method designing a part made of 3D woven composite material, performed by a computer, the method including: obtaining shape data representing an outside surface of the part; for each point of a set of points of the outside surface, determining a distance between the point and a projection of the point onto a target surface, the projection being along a predetermined projection direction; determining a structure of a 3D woven preform as a function of the determined distances; and obtaining projection data specifying a projection direction as a function of a position of a point on the outside surface of the part, wherein the projection direction that is used for at least some of the points of the set of points is determined during the determining a distance, as a function of the projection and as a function of the position of the point.

A method designing a part made of 3D woven composite material, performed by a computer, the method including: obtaining shape data representing an outside surface of the part; for each point of a set of points of the outside surface, determining a distance between the point and a projection of the point onto a target surface, the projection being along a predetermined projection direction; determining a structure of a 3D woven preform as a function of the determined distances; and obtaining projection data specifying a projection direction as a function of a position of a point on the outside surface of the part, wherein the projection direction that is used for at least some of the points of the set of points is determined during the determining a distance, as a function of the projection and as a function of the position of the point.

Articles of manufacture, preferably pump component parts, and a method for making the articles, include providing a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers in a stack of consecutive layers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The reinforcing fibers of different layers are of corresponding different materials, and the layers are arranged such that the material of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is different from the material of the reinforcing fibers in the next consecutive layer. The layers are stitched together with further reinforcing fibers extending within the stack essentially perpendicular to the layers and interspersed throughout the stack. The stack is compressed and cured to establish a block having a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers and further reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The block is machined to establish a prescribed configuration of a desired article.

Articles of manufacture, preferably pump component parts, and a method for making the articles, include providing a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers in a stack of consecutive layers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The reinforcing fibers of different layers are of corresponding different materials, and the layers are arranged such that the material of the reinforcing fibers in each layer is different from the material of the reinforcing fibers in the next consecutive layer. The layers are stitched together with further reinforcing fibers extending within the stack essentially perpendicular to the layers and interspersed throughout the stack. The stack is compressed and cured to establish a block having a plurality of layers of reinforcing fibers and further reinforcing fibers in a matrix of synthetic polymeric material. The block is machined to establish a prescribed configuration of a desired article.

This pultrusion material that is a composite material member comprises: a plurality of fiber sheets that extend along a lengthwise direction; and a gap material that is provided to a gap formed by the plurality of fiber sheets, wherein the gap material has a gap fiber sheet including reinforcement fibers that are oriented in a different fiber direction than the lengthwise direction, and has gap reinforcement fibers that are oriented in the same fiber direction as the lengthwise direction. Additionally, the gap reinforcement fibers are provided evenly distributed in a cross-section of the gap material, said cross-section being perpendicular to the lengthwise direction.