A method and apparatus for manufacturing a composite part is provided. A composite laminate is formed upon a first tool that provides a first mold line for the composite laminate. A second tool is placed against the composite laminate in which a tooling surface of the second tool is used to create a second mold line for the composite laminate. The second tool is formed from a plurality of prefabricated sections joined by a joining material in which the tooling surface is formed by a layer adhered to the plurality of prefabricated sections and the joining material.

A child car seat comprises a curvilinear frame. The frame includes right and left monolithic multilayered carbon fiber sidewalls each having a head retaining region and a bottom region connected by a central region. At least one beam connects one of the right and left monolithic multilayered carbon fiber sidewalls with the other. At least 20% of the surface area of each of the head retaining region and the bottom region is a hollow space. The right and left sidewalls are manufactured by placing carbon fibers and polymer to form a carbon fiber preform having a plurality of layers, each with a predefined orientation; and heating or curing the carbon fiber preform so that the polymer forms a matrix that binds the plurality of carbon fiber layers.

Disclosed is a laminate having a carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic resin woven layer (X) and a thermoplastic resin foam layer (Y) layered in the order of layer (X)/layer (Y)/layer (X), wherein the fabric contains unidirectional fiber reinforced resin sheets as warp and weft, the unidirectional fiber reinforced resin sheet containing continuous carbon fibers and a thermoplastic resin, and the carbon fibers are aligned in a longitudinal direction of the unidirectional fiber reinforced resin sheet, and the ratio (y/x) of the thickness (y) of the layer (Y) and the thickness (x) of the layer (X) is 3-40, and the density of the layer (Y) is 0.2-0.6 g/cc. Also disclosed are: a three-dimensional molded laminate in which a three-dimensional shape is given to said laminate; and a method for producing a three-dimensional molded laminate.

There is provided a forming apparatus for constraining a composite charge and forming the composite charge into a highly contoured composite structure. The forming apparatus includes a first die and a second die between which the composite charge is formed. The first die has pairs of first die portions spaced apart to define a die cavity into which the composite charge is formed into a contoured hat section having a cap. The forming apparatus includes a constraining assembly having a constraining device positioned in the die cavity. The constraining device is designed to constrain a cap portion, and to apply an upward resistive force against the cap portion, and against a downward compressive force applied by the second die, to provide wrinkle prevention in the cap as the contoured hat section is formed. The constraining assembly has a retaining element to retain the constraining device.

A method of manufacturing a sandwich panel (100) includes: a step of preparing a plurality of sheet-like prepregs (211); a step of performing a first heating and pressurization process through a release film (25) on upper and lower surfaces of a laminate where the plurality of prepregs (211) are laminated such that the laminate is integrated to obtain a composite facing material (40); and a step of disposing the composite facing material (40) on each of an upper surface side and a lower surface side of a sheet-like core layer (10) having a honeycomb structure and integrating the laminate through a second heating and pressurization process, in which a pressure of the first heating and pressurization process is higher than or equal to a pressure of the second heating and pressurization process.

A method of forming a barrel portion including obtaining a mandrel shaped to define at least an inner surface of a barrel portion of the bat, wrapping a first plurality of layers of fiber composite material about the mandrel, placing a removable material over a first portion of the first plurality of layers, and wrapping a second plurality of layers of fiber composite material over the removable material and the portion of the first plurality of layers not covered by the removable material for form an assembly. The method further includes separating the mandrel from the assembly, inserting an expandable member within the assembly, inserting the assembly into a barrel-forming mold, and molding the assembly in a single molding cycle, curing the first and second layers with the removable material to form the barrel portion of the bat, and removing the removable material and the member from the barrel portion.

Method and device for manufacturing a profile member of composite material, the cross-section of which has three branches, including the steps of: —moving together two opposite edges of a panel (2) of sheet material in such a manner that these two opposite edges are juxtapositioned in one juxtapositioning direction; translating a pair of jaws (20) in a direction perpendicular to the juxta-positioning direction in such a manner that the pair of jaws (20) is positioned on either side of the opposite juxtapositioned edges, this translational movement of the pair of jaws (20) being carried out in the direction of a base (25); —simultaneously pressing the sheet material between the two jaws (20), on the one hand, and between the jaws (20) and the base (25), on the other hand; —finishing the profile member of composite material by hardening with a matrix with which the sheet material is impregnated.

A method for manufacturing a beam (P1, P2) with closed section, the beam being produced by combining a first profile (P10, P20) and a second profile (P11, P21), including the following steps: producing the first profile by a first stamping of a first plate (5, 50) between a first punch (1, 10) having a first imprint and a second punch (2, 20) having a second imprint and incorporating a core (3, 30) modifying its second imprint; holding the first profile (P10, P20) on the first punch and positioning the core (3, 30) above the first profile (P10, P20); producing the second profile (P11, P21) by a second stamping of a second plate (6, 60) against the core (3, 30) between the first punch (2, 20) and the assembly formed by the superposition of the first punch (1, 10), the first profile (P10, P20) and the core.

Methods and apparatus for additive manufactures of complex parts using co-aligned continuous fibers are disclosed. Filament subunits having complex shapes are fabricated and inserted into a mold cavity. The layup is compression molded to form a complex part having high tensile strength.

A method and a device for producing a reinforcing profile from at least one layer (1, 2, 3) cut out of a preimpregnated fibrous web are described, said layer (1, 2, 3) being applied to a mould core (4) determining the profile shape, being retained on the mould core (4) in the application region (6), and being pressed progressively onto the mould core, starting from this application region (6), transversely to the profile longitudinal direction, as far as the profile longitudinal edges. In order to create advantageous production conditions, it is proposed that the layer (1, 2, 3) be pressed incrementally progressively so as to be shaped onto the mould core (4), in the longitudinal direction thereof, with the aid of moulding punches (8) that are arranged offset with respect to one another both in the circumferential direction and in the longitudinal direction of the mould core (4) and are able to be forced in the direction of the moulding faces of the mould core (4).