There is disclosed a method of inserting a reinforcing rod into a hole in a laminated material. The method comprises a feed operation in which a feed clamp clamps a rod whilst moving towards the laminated material to feed an end section of the rod through a guide clamp into a hole in the laminated material. The method further comprises a re-supply operation in which the feed clamp releases the rod and moves relative the rod along a return direction away from the laminated material whilst the guide clamp clamps the rod. A corresponding insertion head for inserting a reinforcing rod, and insertion equipment comprising the insertion head and a controller is also disclosed.

There is disclosed a method of inserting a reinforcing rod into a hole in a laminated material. The method comprises a feed operation in which a feed clamp clamps a rod whilst moving towards the laminated material to feed an end section of the rod through a guide clamp into a hole in the laminated material. The method further comprises a re-supply operation in which the feed clamp releases the rod and moves relative the rod along a return direction away from the laminated material whilst the guide clamp clamps the rod. A corresponding insertion head for inserting a reinforcing rod, and insertion equipment comprising the insertion head and a controller is also disclosed.

A composite coil spring includes a coil body that extends along a coiled axis. The coil body includes a polymer matrix and, disposed in the polymer matrix, a carbon fiber core and a plurality of fiber layers wrapped around the carbon fiber core in alternating oblique fiber angles to the coiled axis. The fiber layers include, from inside-out starting from the carbon fiber core, at least two consecutive carbon fiber intermediate fiber layers of alternating oblique fiber angles to the coiled axis, immediately followed by at least two consecutive glass fiber intermediate fiber layers of alternating oblique fiber angles to the coiled axis, and immediately followed by a carbon fiber outermost fiber layer.

A system for constructing a composite structure includes a braiding machine, a winding tool and a forming machine. The composite structure is constructed of a wound tubular braiding. The wound tubular braiding is constructed of a biaxial or triaxial tubular braid of unidirectional tape.

A system for constructing a composite structure includes a braiding machine, a winding tool and a forming machine. The composite structure is constructed of a wound tubular braiding. The wound tubular braiding is constructed of a biaxial or triaxial tubular braid of unidirectional tape.

A vane arc segment includes an airfoil fairing that has a fairing platform and an airfoil section that extends there from. The fairing platform defines a gaspath side and a non-gaspath side and includes a flange that projects from the non-gaspath side. The airfoil fairing is formed of a fiber-reinforced composite that includes a wishbone-shaped fiber layer structure that has first and second arms that converge and merge into a single leg. The first and second arms are formed of fiber plies comprised of a network of fiber tows. The single leg comprises fiber tows from each of the fiber plies of the first and second arms. The fiber tows of the first arm are interwoven in the single leg with the fiber tows of the second arm. The first arm, the second arm, or the single leg forms at least a portion of the flange.

Methods and assemblies for additive manufacturing portions of components with enhanced strength are provided. The assemblies comprise a first deposition head and an apparatus for causing one or more reinforcement fibers to extend more than two layers within previously-deposited layers of build material. The first deposition head is configured to deposit a plurality of layers of a filament comprising a reinforcement fiber and thermoplastic material. The apparatus may comprise a needle point configured to be inserted into the plurality of layers to displace the reinforcement fiber so that it extends two or more of the plurality of layers. The apparatus may additionally or alternatively comprise a second deposition head having a needle tip configured to be inserted into the plurality of layers to inject a length of a second filament comprising thermoplastic material and a reinforcement fiber so that the reinforcement fiber of the second filament extends two or more layers of the plurality of layers of the first filament.

A manufacturing process of a fibrous preform for a composite material includes creating a fibrous texture by three-dimensional or multilayer weaving between a plurality of weft layers and warp layers, the fibrous texture including an extra-thick portion having a sacrificial portion and a useful portion adjacent to the sacrificial portion in the warp direction, the sacrificial portion, placing the fibrous texture in a forming toolset, shaping the fibrous texture so as to obtain a fibrous preform having a sacrificial portion and an adjacent useful portion, removing the sacrificial portion from the fibrous preform. When weaving the fibrous blank, one or more expansion elements are inserted into the weft layers located at the core of the sacrificial portion of the fibrous texture. Each expansion element has a cross-section greater than the cross-section or count of the weft threads or strands present in the useful portion.

A manufacturing process of a fibrous preform for a composite material includes creating a fibrous texture by three-dimensional or multilayer weaving between a plurality of weft layers and warp layers, the fibrous texture including an extra-thick portion having a sacrificial portion and a useful portion adjacent to the sacrificial portion in the warp direction, the sacrificial portion, placing the fibrous texture in a forming toolset, shaping the fibrous texture so as to obtain a fibrous preform having a sacrificial portion and an adjacent useful portion, removing the sacrificial portion from the fibrous preform. When weaving the fibrous blank, one or more expansion elements are inserted into the weft layers located at the core of the sacrificial portion of the fibrous texture. Each expansion element has a cross-section greater than the cross-section or count of the weft threads or strands present in the useful portion.

A three-dimensional fibrous preform of a fan blade includes a blade root and a blade airfoil between the blade root and a free end of the preform. The airfoil has an area with two skins and a longitudinal stiffener between the skins and, in a transverse plane, transverse yarns of the skins woven in pairs in the first and in the second skin either side of the stiffener, the yarns of a first pair of the first skin are separated into two unit yarns at the stiffener, the unit yarns being woven separately with longitudinal yarns, the yarns of a second pair of the second skin are separated into two unit yarns at the stiffener, the yarns being woven separately with longitudinal yarns, and a yarn of each pair cross over each other twice in the stiffener.