A method of manufacturing a transport refrigeration unit is provided. The method includes providing an enclosure including an outer layer and a supporter. Providing the enclosure includes supplying one of a first material and a second material to a mold. This also includes supplying the other of the first material and the second material on the one of the first material and the second material that is supplied to the mold. Also, this includes curing the first material and the second material integrally that are supplied to the mold. The first material forms into the outer layer and the second material forms into the supporter. The second material includes a plurality of reinforcing fibers.

A method for bending towpreg to yield a desired amount of axial force during bending to form a preform is provided including inserting towpreg into a bending die, applying an initial axial force to the towpreg, and moving the gripped end of the towpreg in an involute path using a cam, a cam follower and a gripper, the gripper disposed on the cam follower. Axial force between the gripped end and the stationary end of the towpreg from a point where the towpreg contacts a surface of the bending die is applied tangent to the surface of the bending die while bending the towpreg. An apparatus for bending towpreg to form a preform is provided including bending dies disposed in fixed positions, and a follower. Axial involute cam mechanism having a drive shaft, a cam, a cam follower that follows an involute path around the cam, a gripper and a clamp.

A method for producing a vehicle composite component with a layer structure having a core layer in a molding tool, the core layer being formed with regions of different thickness is provided. Steps for this method may include placing a cover layer, in particular a preformed cover layer, which in particular forms an outer skin of the vehicle composite component, onto a mold base plate of the open molding tool; introducing a first fiber layer, which is impregnated with PU resin and has not been subjected to forming, between the cover layer and a first mold counterplate of the open molding tool; closing the molding tool and compression molding the first fiber layer, which is impregnated with PU resin, against the cover layer, as a result of which a preform with a first support layer containing the first fiber layer is formed and hardened while supplying heat.

A rope for reinforcing joints in fibre-reinforced composite structures is described. The rope comprises chopped reinforcement fibres and retaining means for retaining the chopped fibres in a rope-shape. Further, composite structures utilising such ropes as filler elements are described as well as an apparatus for manufacturing such ropes.

Systems and methods are provided for divergent laminates. A method comprises providing a layup tool having a first upper face and a second upper face that rise to intersect each other at a ridge line, the layup tool further having a protrusion on top of a portion of the ridge line, and laying up a laminate onto the upper faces and the protrusion. The method also comprises placing a cure tool on top of the layup tool, the cure tool having a lower face that is dimensioned to mate with the upper faces along a portion of the ridge line that is not covered by the protrusion, thereby leaving a divergent flange of the laminate on top of the protrusion exposed, and sweeping the divergent flange of the laminate upward from the layup tool onto a vertical side the cure tool.

Systems and methods are provided for compacting laminates. One embodiment is a method for compacting a laminate onto a surface of a forming tool. The method includes placing the laminate onto the forming tool, disposing a compaction device over the laminate, gripping the compaction device to the forming tool, compacting the laminate with a pressure foot of the compaction device, and removing the compaction device from the forming tool.

The present invention relates to sandwich panels used as aircraft interior parts. In addition to provide a finishing function, the sandwich panels need to have certain mechanical properties and have sufficient fire resistance to retard the spread of fire within the vehicle interior. The present invention provides an aircraft interior panel with skins comprising natural fiber reinforced composites based either on an inorganic thermoset resin or a thermoplastic resin. Such panels provide the required flame and heat resistance, allow easy recycling and disposal, are cheaper and offer significant weight savings over conventional sandwich panels.

A wheel includes a rim having a rim well and rim flanges, a hub, and at least three spoke elements. Each spoke element forms at least one spoke between the hub and the rim. The spoke elements are fastened to an inside of the rim in a form-closed manner or a form-closed and bonded manner. In the hub region, the spoke elements are supported on each other in a circumferential direction at abutting surfaces designed therefor. A method for producing the wheel is provided.

In an artificial defect material 10 of an FRP structure, a heat-resistant high-linear-expansion material 20 arranged between the layers thermally expands in case of high-temperature shaping of the FRP structure, so that a predetermined shape is shaped between a plurality of layers of the fiber reinforcing base material 14 and the material 20 thermally shrinks at the room temperature after the shaping, so that a space is formed due to the shrinkage difference from the fiber reinforcing base materials 14. The material 20 has a linear expansion coefficient larger than that of the FRP structure by a predetermined value or more, and has the shape keeping property and the heat resistance to endure the shaping temperature.

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.