A method and apparatus for forming a composite structure. A stackup comprising a plurality of overbraided thermoplastic members and an overbraided thermoplastic skin is built. The stackup is placed between an inner tooling and an outer tooling. The inner tooling, the stackup, and the outer tooling are held in place together using a load constraint. The inner tooling, the stackup, the outer tooling, and the load constraint form a consolidation setup. The consolidation setup is heated to form the composite structure.

Methods, apparatuses and systems are disclosed for making and applying composite material rework parts to rework composite substrates by partially forming a composite material rework part before staging the rework part onto the composite substrate. An approximate geometry is imparted to the partially formed rework part, with the final composite material rework part geometry imparted by the composite substrates requiring rework, as the rework part is finally shaped and cured in situ on the composite substrate.

A method for contour forming in a fiber placement system. The method includes painting multiple sliced layers on a stationary form to create a composite component. The sliced layers include multiple hoop tows. One or more overlap splices are formed in each of the hoop tows. The method includes applying a layup heat to multiple target areas on the sliced layers during the painting. The target areas are spatially arranged to permit a slippage in the splices. The method further includes draping the composite component on a curved tool with the hoop tows oriented perpendicular to an axis of curvature of the curved tool, and applying a curing heat to the composite component after the composite component has been contoured by the curved tool. The curing heat inhibits a further slippage in the overlap splices.

Auto-aligning vacuum presses, that include a mobile assembly with a first platen, a vacuum docking station with a second platen, a first locating device to guide the mobile assembly to a desired location along the Y-axis as the mobile assembly moves along the X-axis into the vacuum station, and a second locating device to guide one of the first and second platens along the Z-axis into sealing engagement with the other platen.

An intensifier mechanism for forming stacked material includes a support, a first body coupled to the support, and a second body having a main portion, a pivoting portion, and a joint. The main portion is coupled to the support and the joint movably couples the main portion to the pivoting portion. The joint allows the pivoting portion to pivot in relation to the main portion when the membrane moves towards the bottom wall.

A method and system for manufacturing composite parts free of wrinkles and mark-offs from bagging compression. The method can include placing composite material around a rigid mandrel and sealing opposing end of an elastomeric hollow membrane within a rigid external vessel. Then the method can include inflating the hollow membrane from a natural state to an inflated state. In the natural state, the hollow membrane can have a cross-section smaller than the cross section of the rigid mandrel with the composite material thereon. The method can then include inserting the rigid mandrel and the composite material into the membrane while it is in the inflated state, followed by releasing the membrane from the inflated state to naturally contract toward its natural state. Then the method can include heating the composite material to a cure temperature while the composite material is compressed by the membrane.

Flowpath assemblies, methods of forming flowpath assemblies, and hypersonic vehicles are provided. For example, a flowpath assembly for a combustor comprises a tube array comprising a plurality of tubes, a joining material disposed between adjacent tubes of the plurality of tubes to join together the adjacent tubes, a flowpath layer, and an outer layer. The plurality of tubes and the joining material are disposed between the flowpath layer and the outer layer. The flowpath layer defines a combustion flowpath. Each of the plurality of tubes, the joining material, the flowpath layer, and the outer layer are formed from a composite material. The combustor comprising the flowpath assembly may be included in a ramjet engine of a hypersonic vehicle. A fabrication method may include laying up composite plies to form a tube array including the plurality of tubes, the joining material, and the flowpath and outer layers.

Provided herein is a wind turbine blade mold system having built in precision pins to locate structural components (e.g. spar caps) during layup of composite segments. A plurality of pins can be inserted into apertures within the mold, with discs attached to the pins to maintain fixed relative distance to spar caps positioned relative to the pins to ensure precise positioning, thereby preventing/inhibiting movement of the spar cap relative to the mold. The pins can include a first extension that pierce through the layers of composite layups, and protrude above the B-surface of the blade skin. Additionally, the pins can include a marker tip releasably attached to the pin top to provide visual identification of the pin and underlying structural components. The pins can remain embedded within the final molded part.

A method for fusing thermoplastic composite structures includes placing a thermoplastic substructure on an inner surface of a skin that is laid up on a shaping surface of a tool configured to maintain the shape of an outer mold line. The method further includes applying at least one metal layer over the substructure and applying an insulation layer over edge portions of the substructure and over exposed portions of the inner surface of the skin not in contact with the substructure and applying a vacuum bag that at least partly encloses the skin, the substructure, and the metal layer. The method yet still further includes applying heat to the shaping surface to fuse the substructure to the skin such that the skin exceeds its melting point and at least a portion of a raised segment of the substructure does not exceed its melting point.

A ply transporting and compacting apparatus comprises a rigid frame, a top-layer sheet of flexible rubber material fastened to the frame, and a bottom-layer sheet of perforated flexible rubber material having openings. The apparatus also comprises a middle-layer sheet of flow media material disposed in a first plenum area that is defined between the top and bottom layer sheets. The apparatus further comprises a moving device coupled to the frame and arranged to lower the frame and sheets onto a composite ply at a trimming location to pick up the composite ply with a suction force when a vacuum is drawn in the first plenum area to create the suction force through the openings of the bottom-layer sheet.