A polymer composite composition for use in high temperature applications such as furnaces, heat shields and aeronautical jet and rocket motors. In a particular application, the disclosed composition is applied to the manufacture of rocket motor cases, or parts thereof, to provide rigid thermal protection (RTP). The polymer composite composition comprises cyanate ester resin, fine lengths of carbon fibre and refractory filler material.

A polymer composite composition for use in high temperature applications such as furnaces, heat shields and aeronautical jet and rocket motors. In a particular application, the disclosed composition is applied to the manufacture of rocket motor cases, or parts thereof, to provide rigid thermal protection (RTP). The polymer composite composition comprises cyanate ester resin, fine lengths of carbon fibre and refractory filler material.

A composite laminate stiffener is formed to contour with reduced ply wrinkling using constrained creep forming. The tooling apparatus is provided with flexible cauls which constrain the stiffener during the contour forming process. The creep forming is carried out at a slow enough rate so that friction or shear resistance between the resin and fibers of the plies remains low enough that slippage can occur and significant compression stresses are not generated rate, allowing relaxation of residual stresses in the stiffener.

A mold for molding a reinforced preform having at least two apertures therein includes first and second mold halves, first and second emitters disposed in the mold halves and configured to emit light therefrom, first and second receivers disposed in the mold halves and configured to receive light from the respective first and second emitters, and first and second moving members having couplings for connection with side portions of the reinforced preform and actuators for moving the couplings between respective first and second positions. A controller determines an alignment condition based on signals received from the receivers. If the alignment condition fails to meet predetermined criteria, then at least one of the actuators is caused to move its coupling from its respective first position to a respective adjusted position that is different from the respective second position.

A mold for molding a reinforced preform having at least two apertures therein includes first and second mold halves, first and second emitters disposed in the mold halves and configured to emit light therefrom, first and second receivers disposed in the mold halves and configured to receive light from the respective first and second emitters, and first and second moving members having couplings for connection with side portions of the reinforced preform and actuators for moving the couplings between respective first and second positions. A controller determines an alignment condition based on signals received from the receivers. If the alignment condition fails to meet predetermined criteria, then at least one of the actuators is caused to move its coupling from its respective first position to a respective adjusted position that is different from the respective second position.

Lightweight, structurally reinforced thermoplastic objects comprising at least one reinforcement zone are manufactured by providing a heatable rigid forming chamber with a chamber volume. At a temperature below the thermoplastic softening temperature, the chamber is loaded with a plurality of thermoplastic lofting bodies and a plurality of thermoplastic reinforcement bodies wherein the lofting bodies are heat-loftable bodies comprising a thermoplastic matrix containing an elastically compressed assembly of reinforcement fibers embedded therein, lofty non-woven bodies comprising an elastically compressible assembly of reinforcement fibers and thermoplastic fibers. Upon closing the chamber, lofting bodies of lofty non-wovens are elastically compressed, producing an internal pressure. After heating the chamber above softening temperature, reinforcement bodies and lofting bodies are ow thermoplastically formable, and lofting bodies configured as heat-loftable bodies produce a second internal pressure. After a predetermined processing time, the chamber is cooled yielding a structurally reinforced object.

Lightweight, structurally reinforced thermoplastic objects comprising at least one reinforcement zone are manufactured by providing a heatable rigid forming chamber with a chamber volume. At a temperature below the thermoplastic softening temperature, the chamber is loaded with a plurality of thermoplastic lofting bodies and a plurality of thermoplastic reinforcement bodies wherein the lofting bodies are heat-loftable bodies comprising a thermoplastic matrix containing an elastically compressed assembly of reinforcement fibers embedded therein, lofty non-woven bodies comprising an elastically compressible assembly of reinforcement fibers and thermoplastic fibers. Upon closing the chamber, lofting bodies of lofty non-wovens are elastically compressed, producing an internal pressure. After heating the chamber above softening temperature, reinforcement bodies and lofting bodies are ow thermoplastically formable, and lofting bodies configured as heat-loftable bodies produce a second internal pressure. After a predetermined processing time, the chamber is cooled yielding a structurally reinforced object.

The invention relates to a seat for a vehicle, preferably for a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft, comprising at least one multilayer structural component (1) with at least one first (6) and at least one second ply (5) of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, and with a layer (7) which is arranged between said plies and is made of at least one foamed thermoplastic; to a method for producing same, said method having at least the following steps (A): providing at least one first and at least one second ply of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, (B) thermoforming the first ply of composite material into a lower seat shell, (C) thermoforming the second ply of composite material into an upper seat shell, (D) arranging the lower seat shell and the upper seat shell in a tool, such that a gap is formed between the two seat shells, (E) introducing foamed particles made of a thermoplastic into the gap, and (F) pressing the two seats shells and the foamed particles in order to obtain the seat; and to the use of the seat in a vehicle, preferably in a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft.

The invention relates to a seat for a vehicle, preferably for a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft, comprising at least one multilayer structural component (1) with at least one first (6) and at least one second ply (5) of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, and with a layer (7) which is arranged between said plies and is made of at least one foamed thermoplastic; to a method for producing same, said method having at least the following steps (A): providing at least one first and at least one second ply of a composite material, in each case containing fibers which are integrated into a thermoplastic, (B) thermoforming the first ply of composite material into a lower seat shell, (C) thermoforming the second ply of composite material into an upper seat shell, (D) arranging the lower seat shell and the upper seat shell in a tool, such that a gap is formed between the two seat shells, (E) introducing foamed particles made of a thermoplastic into the gap, and (F) pressing the two seats shells and the foamed particles in order to obtain the seat; and to the use of the seat in a vehicle, preferably in a land craft, a watercraft, and/or an aircraft.

The purpose of the present invention is to further enhance the strength of a manufactured composite structure by further suppressing the occurrence of wrinkling. A method for manufacturing a composite structure, the method comprising: a lamination step for layering a plurality of fiber sheets and molding a plate-form laminate; a forming step for forming a recess formed by a curved surface in a prescribed portion of the laminate; a short-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the short direction thereof after the forming step to configure a long-direction cross-section of the laminate in a prescribed shape; and a long-direction deformation step for deforming the laminate in the long direction after the forming step, so that the recess formed in the forming step deforms, to configure a short-direction cross section in a prescribed shape.