A method for manufacturing a thermoplastic composite product includes: providing a first and second thermoplastic composite component made from a consolidated stack of thermoplastic composite plies, said first and second component having a first and second ply drop off, respectively. The first and second components are positioned such that the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off are aligned, and the first and second components are fixedly connected by means of heating. The stacks of plies for the first and second components are constructed by stacking the plies in a stacking direction wherein the plies are arranged such that plies at a different position along the stacking direction are laterally offset relative to each other for the purpose of forming the first ply drop off and the second ply drop off, respectively, before consolidating.

A method for assembling two tubes (1, 2) made from thermoplastic materials, that involves welding by heating two applied rotational contact surfaces of two parts of two tubes (1, 2), respectively, arranged end to end or overlapping coaxially (XX′). The method involves induction heating of at least one conductive welding element (4), arranged at the interface (3) between the two contact surfaces, by generating a magnetic field at said conductive welding element or elements, such that the melting of the thermoplastic materials constituting said contact surfaces produces a continuous and sealed weld at said interface on at least one closed loop along the entire perimeter of said interface.

A method for splicing two bundles (1, 2) of multifilament textile fibers comprises: inserting an end portion of a first bundle (1) into a first end of a heat-shrinkable sheath (10) and an end portion of a second bundle (2) into a second end of the sheath, axially opposite the first end, until the ends of the end portions of the two bundles are facing each other; inserting a curable organic material inside the sheath (10) in a space separating the end portions of the bundles (1, 2); heating a portion of the heat-shrinkable sheath (10) surrounding a joining portion (9) to a predetermined temperature; curing the curable organic material; and removing the sheath (10).

A method of joining a non-metallic pipe to a metallic pipe. The pipe may be wrapped with one or more sheets of reinforcement material (e.g., pre-impregnated fiberglass, carbon fiber, or aramid fiber) and then fitted with an adapter or fitting that is connectable to a metallic pipe. The reinforcement material may be heated using a heating apparatus which allows the material to bond to the pipe to strengthen the joint.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part. The method includes forming a skin panel preform comprising fiber reinforced material, disposing rigid end caps at the skin panel preform at end locations of stringer preforms that will be placed at the skin panel, locating the stringer preforms at the skin panel preform via the rigid end caps, and anchoring the stringer preforms to the skin panel preform.

A system for coupling pipes includes a first pipe having a tapered, spigot end; a second pipe having a tapered, spigot end; and a coupler having two tapered socket ends adapted to internally receive the respective tapered, spigot ends of the first pipe and the second pipe. The first pipe and the second pipe are made from a reinforced thermosetting resin (RTR). The coupler comprising a resistive element implanted therein and connected to electrodes extending to an exterior of the coupler. A thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the first pipe and an interior of the coupler. A thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the second pipe and the interior of the coupler. Upon application of electricity to the electrodes, the resistive elements are heated sufficiently to melt the thermoplastic material such that, when the heat is removed, the hardened thermoplastic material seals the first pipe and the second pipe to the coupler. A method of coupling pipes includes disposing a thermoplastic material between an exterior of a first pipe and an interior of a coupler; disposing a thermoplastic material between an exterior of a second pipe and the interior of the coupler; inserting the first pipe and the second pipe into the coupler; and applying of electricity to electrodes of the coupler such that resistive elements of the coupler heat sufficiently to melt the thermoplastic material such that, when the heat is removed, the hardened thermoplastic material seals the first pipe and the second pipe to the coupler.

A resin frame includes frame members combined into a frame shape that includes a corner portion, and a joint portion joining a pair of the frame members which are adjacent to each other at the corner portion. The joint portion includes an entire-surface welded portion, in which end surfaces of the pair of the frame members are welded to each other over an entire surface in a thickness direction of a plate portion of the frame members, and a partial welded portion, in which the end surfaces of the pair of the frame members are welded to each other on one side of the entire surface in the thickness direction while another side of the entire surface in the thickness direction is not welded. The entire-surface welded portion and the partial welded portion are present at different portions on an outer periphery of the joint portion.

A first thermoplastic component and a second thermoplastic component including a first joint portion and a second joint portion, respectively, are provided. A least a portion of a surface area of each of the first and second joint portions include a respective first and second mating surface. The first and second mating surfaces of the respective first and second joint portions are positioned in contact with one another. The first and second joint portions are fusion joined. Fusion joining the first and second joint portions forms a fused unitary portion of the first and second thermoplastic components.

A system for coupling pipes includes a first pipe having a tapered, spigot end; a second pipe having a tapered, spigot end; and a coupler having two tapered socket ends adapted to internally receive the respective tapered, spigot ends of the first pipe and the second pipe. The first pipe and the second pipe are made from a reinforced thermosetting resin (RTR). The coupler comprising a resistive element implanted therein and connected to electrodes extending to an exterior of the coupler. A thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the first pipe and an interior of the coupler. A thermoplastic material is disposed between an exterior of the second pipe and the interior of the coupler. Upon application of electricity to the electrodes, the resistive elements are heated sufficiently to melt the thermoplastic material such that, when the heat is removed, the hardened thermoplastic material seals the first pipe and the second pipe to the coupler. A method of coupling pipes includes disposing a thermoplastic material between an exterior of a first pipe and an interior of a coupler; disposing a thermoplastic material between an exterior of a second pipe and the interior of the coupler; inserting the first pipe and the second pipe into the coupler; and applying of electricity to electrodes of the coupler such that resistive elements of the coupler heat sufficiently to melt the thermoplastic material such that, when the heat is removed, the hardened thermoplastic material seals the first pipe and the second pipe to the coupler.

A resin frame includes frame members combined into a frame shape that includes a corner portion, and a joint portion joining a pair of the frame members which are adjacent to each other at the corner portion. The joint portion includes an entire-surface welded portion, in which end surfaces of the pair of the frame members are welded to each other over an entire surface in a thickness direction of a plate portion of the frame members, and a partial welded portion, in which the end surfaces of the pair of the frame members are welded to each other on one side of the entire surface in the thickness direction while another side of the entire surface in the thickness direction is not welded. The entire-surface welded portion and the partial welded portion are present at different portions on an outer periphery of the joint portion.