A railroad crosstie (tie) may be fabricated from a composite material including a fiber reinforced polymer shell manufactured by pultrusion or other process, and filled by a suitable material, typically selected from expanded elastomeric polymer (such as polyurethane resin or other polymer), concrete, lightweight concrete formed by conventional aggregate, sand, cement, water, and an ultra light filler such as natural materials, sawdust, beads of expanded polymer such as expanded polystyrene, microspheres of glass or plastic, a recycled wooden tie in conjunction with any of the above, or the like. Fasteners may be driven such as spikes, threaded, such as screws, lag screws, spreading screws, rivets, or the like into apertures, pilot holes, or directly into fill absent apertures therein.

A railroad crosstie (tie) may be fabricated from a composite material including a fiber reinforced polymer shell manufactured by pultrusion or other process, and filled by a suitable material, typically selected from expanded elastomeric polymer (such as polyurethane resin or other polymer), concrete, lightweight concrete formed by conventional aggregate, sand, cement, water, and an ultra light filler such as natural materials, sawdust, beads of expanded polymer such as expanded polystyrene, microspheres of glass or plastic, a recycled wooden tie in conjunction with any of the above, or the like. Fasteners may be driven such as spikes, threaded, such as screws, lag screws, spreading screws, rivets, or the like into apertures, pilot holes, or directly into fill absent apertures therein.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the production of novel fibre-reinforced profile materials filled with a rigid foam core, especially a PMI foam core. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel process which, in various versions, provides a particularly high throughput and allows a very wide range of shaping options. One step here continuously produces a complex fibre-reinforced profile material and simultaneously inserts the rigid foam core into same. In addition, in the same process step, very good binding of the rigid foam core to the fibre-reinforced profile material is assured. Shaping further takes place in two or more moulds simultaneously to achieve a particularly high throughput and simultaneously produce profile materials differing in shape.

The present invention relates to a novel process for the production of novel fibre-reinforced profile materials filled with a rigid foam core, especially a PMI foam core. In particular, the present invention relates to a novel process which, in various versions, provides a particularly high throughput and allows a very wide range of shaping options. One step here continuously produces a complex fibre-reinforced profile material and simultaneously inserts the rigid foam core into same. In addition, in the same process step, very good binding of the rigid foam core to the fibre-reinforced profile material is assured. Shaping further takes place in two or more moulds simultaneously to achieve a particularly high throughput and simultaneously produce profile materials differing in shape.

A method is provided of designing and producing a carbon fiber composite wrist pin using a combination of a carbon fiber composite pultruded rod that is overwrapped with a carbon fiber prepreg fabric. The use of the carbon fiber pultruded rod and the carbon fiber prepreg fabric results in a rod with optimal flexural strength properties to endure the flexural stress placed on a wrist pin during the cycling of an internal combustion engine. In addition, the overwrapping of the pultruded rod with a carbon fiber prepreg fabric allows for one pultruded rod blank to produce multiple wrist pin sizes by allowing one to change the outer diameter of the wrist pin by changing the thickness of the carbon fiber prepreg fabric overwrapping. After overwrapping, the rod blank is cut to a chosen specific length, optionally inserted into a metal sleeve, and coated with a thermal barrier coating. The wrist pin is then ground to a chosen specific tolerance and coated with an anti-friction coating.

In one aspect of the present subject matter, a method of forming a linear panel includes drawing a multi-layer panel material assembly having differing inner and outer material layers along a processing path. The method also includes heating the panel material assembly. In addition, the method includes forming the heated panel material assembly into a desired shape as the assembly is drawn along the processing path. Additionally, in another aspect of the present subject matter, a linear panel includes a body formed from a multi-layer panel material assembly having differing inner and outer material layers.

In one aspect of the present subject matter, a method of forming a linear panel includes drawing a multi-layer panel material assembly having differing inner and outer material layers along a processing path. The method also includes heating the panel material assembly. In addition, the method includes forming the heated panel material assembly into a desired shape as the assembly is drawn along the processing path. Additionally, in another aspect of the present subject matter, a linear panel includes a body formed from a multi-layer panel material assembly having differing inner and outer material layers.

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more individual pultrusions including a first tapering end with a tapering end face terminating in a taper tip, and

arranging the one or more pultrusions in one layer or more stacked layers including at least a bottom layer on a first assembly surface at a first assembly station to provide a pultrusion arrangement extending in a longitudinal direction between a pultrusion root end and a pultrusion tip end, wherein the first tapering end of the one or more pultrusions form the pultrusion root end or the pultrusion tip end of the pultrusion arrangement.

A method for manufacturing a wind turbine blade, comprising the steps of:

providing one or more individual pultrusions including a first tapering end with a tapering end face terminating in a taper tip, and

arranging the one or more pultrusions in one layer or more stacked layers including at least a bottom layer on a first assembly surface at a first assembly station to provide a pultrusion arrangement extending in a longitudinal direction between a pultrusion root end and a pultrusion tip end, wherein the first tapering end of the one or more pultrusions form the pultrusion root end or the pultrusion tip end of the pultrusion arrangement.

A method is provided of designing and producing a carbon fiber composite wrist pin using a combination of a carbon fiber composite pultruded rod that is overwrapped with a carbon fiber prepreg fabric. The use of the carbon fiber pultruded rod and the carbon fiber prepreg fabric results in a rod with optimal flexural strength properties to endure the flexural stress placed on a wrist pin during the cycling of an internal combustion engine. In addition, the overwrapping of the pultruded rod with a carbon fiber prepreg fabric allows for one pultruded rod blank to produce multiple wrist pin sizes by allowing one to change the outer diameter of the wrist pin by changing the thickness of the carbon fiber prepreg fabric overwrapping. After overwrapping, the rod blank is cut to a chosen specific length, optionally inserted into a metal sleeve, and coated with a thermal barrier coating. The wrist pin is then ground to a chosen specific tolerance and coated with an anti-friction coating.