Aspects of the present disclosure are directed to a three-dimensional joint and/or formation thereof, such as by 3D-printing the joint. The joint is provided with an interface region having a curable material in a curable state. The joint is positioned with the interface region in contact with a joinable member, and the interface region is cured to form a bond between the joint and the joinable member. Such an approach may, for example, involve forming a mechanical and/or chemical bond with the joint. Further, by utilizing such a joint (e.g., in a 3D-printed form), complex structural components can be formed from a curable material that can be partially cured with structures formed therein, and cured further to create the bond.

A method of fabricating a composite joint from a first cured composite component (13) and a second cured composite component (14), the first and second cured composite components (13, 14) comprising fiber elements embedded in a thermoset resin matrix; the method comprising the steps of providing an adhesive (15) on at least one of the first and/or second composite components (13, 14); forming a joint region between the first and second composite component by bringing the first and second composite component into contact with each other with the adhesive (15) therebetween; applying a force to the joint region (16, 17); and heating the first composite component in the joint region to a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the thermoset resin matrix of the first composite component.

A method for creating a structural part made of composite material by injecting-infusing a liquid, thermosetting resin into a fibrous reinforcement, the structural part comprising a first element and at least one second element. Both the first element and the at least one second element are created in an intermediate state during a distinct injection-infusion step associated with partial curing that is arrested at a degree of cross-linking of the resin below a gelling point of the resin. The first element and the at least one second element are held in a tooling, in a relative position and in a shape that the elements are to have in the structural part to be created, during an out-of-autoclave simultaneous complete curing phase so as to obtain a desired degree of polymerization of the resin of the first element and of the resin of the at least one second element.

A mat unit is formed from at least two layers ultrasonically welded together. Each layer is individually formed from non-vinyl nontoxic thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) material. In ultrasonically joining the two layers together, there is no need to use additional materials, such as adhesive (i.e., chemical attachment) or stitched thread (i.e., mechanical attachment) to form the joint/weld point. Once formed from the two layers, the mat unit has four quadrants and a plurality of longitudinal ribs integrally formed in the first layer positioned in the first and third quadrants, and a plurality of transverse ribs integrally formed in the first layer positioned in the second and fourth quadrants. Additionally, there are a plurality of longitudinal ribs integrally formed in the second layer positioned in the second and fourth quadrants, and a plurality of transverse ribs integrally formed in the second layer positioned in the first and third quadrants.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.

A vehicle door including a door inner and a reinforcing beam fixed to the door inner. The reinforcing beam includes a first layer and a second layer bonded to each other. The first layer includes a polymer and fibers impregnated in the polymer and extending continuously across the polymer of the first layer. The first layer extends along an axis and has first and second ends spaced from each other on the axis. The second layer includes a polymer and fibers impregnated in the polymer and extending continuously across the polymer of the second layer. The second layer has first and second ends spaced from each other on the axis. The first and second ends of the second layer are each disposed between the first and second ends of the first layer along the axis.

A method of producing a composite material includes preparing at least one molded product raw material by primary curing; preparing an assembled body by assembling the primarily cured molded product raw material with another molded product raw material; and integrally forming the molded product raw materials by heating the assembled body to a temperature equivalent to or higher than a glass transition point of the primarily cured molded product raw material to cause a phase of the at least one molded product raw material to transition to a rubberized state, by allowing an adhesive adjacent to the molded product raw material or the other molded product raw material adjacent to the molded product raw material to coexist with the molded product raw material in the rubberized state, and by secondarily curing the primarily cured at least one molded product raw material.

A thermoplastic composite structure is produced by extruding a bead of composite material to a desired cross sectional shape. An extruder extrudes the polymer bead containing reinforcing fibers, using a low compression first extruder stage where the polymer is mixed and de-gassed, and a high compression second stage where the polymer is consolidated and extruded. The cross sectional profile of the polymer bead may be altered using a variable extruder gate.

A mat unit includes a plurality of gaps defined by a first layer that are in open communication with gaps defined by a second layer so as to permit debris to fall entirely through both gaps to pass completely through the mat unit. The mat unit is part of an omnidirectional mat cleaning system that includes a first direction of travel above the mat unit extending through a door opening defined by a building structure. A different second direction of travel is above the mat unit extending through the door opening or another door opening defined by the building structure. The mat unit is installed on a floor adjacent the door opening. The mat unit cleans shoes regardless of the direction of travel traveled above the mat unit.

Forming a cured composite structure may include assembling pre-cure members about a variable volume support member to form a pre-cure assembly, applying an internal pressure from within the pre-cure assembly by maintaining the variable volume support member at an expanded volume, and curing the pre-cure members by applying heat while the variable volume support member is in the expanded volume to form a cured composite structure.