Composite parts including hybrid plies, methods of forming the composite parts, and systems for forming the composite parts are disclosed herein. The composite parts include a plurality of plies of composite material. At least one ply is a hybrid ply. The hybrid ply is defined by a plurality of distinct ply tiles, and at least one distinct ply tile in the plurality of distinct ply tiles defines at least one ply tile property that differs from a corresponding ply tile property of at least one other distinct ply tile in the plurality of distinct ply tiles. The methods include selecting at least one distinct ply tile and positioning the at least one distinct ply tile. The methods also include selecting at least one other distinct ply tile and positioning the at least one other distinct ply tile. The systems include systems that define the composite parts and/or perform the methods.

Preforms including fiber reinforced nodes for use in fiber reinforced composite structures and methods for making fiber reinforced composite structures. Preforms with woven fabric elements extending radially from a common node include at least one reinforcing fiber interwoven between at least two elements and passing through the node. A method of assembling preform structures using the preforms to provide a structure with reinforced nodes.

A forming device, system, and method for continuous forming of a semi-finished fiber product. The semi-finished fiber product is supported flatly from a first side and is at least locally restricted in its freedom of movement, for example pressed on and/or guided, on another side opposite the first side. The further restriction occurs in relation to a guiding area at at least one constant location or region past which the semi-finished fiber product is guided. Shaping tools and guiding areas defined thereby are used for support, and hold-down devices and their contact surfaces are used for further restriction. The further restriction is carried out transversely to a feed motion direction of the semi-finished fiber product through the forming device. The further restriction and the flat guidance serve to reduce formation of undulations and folds.

A fiber-reinforced resin composite configured to be to be used for a vehicle body structure has a cylindrical shape and a longitudinal direction. The fiber-reinforced resin composite includes first fibers and second fibers. The first fibers are disposed along an axial direction of the cylindrical shape. The second fibers are wound over an entire circumferential surface along a direction intersecting the axial direction of the cylindrical shape. The number of the first fibers per unit area in a tensile surface that is to mainly receive tensile stress upon a collision of a vehicle body is larger than the number of the first fibers per unit area in a compressive surface that is to mainly receive compressive stress upon the collision of the vehicle body.

A multi-layer braided article and a method of making the multi-layer braided article. The multi-layer braided article includes a braid extending along a first axis, wherein the braid is folded over itself to form a first layer and a second layer; and a wrapper laid over the first layer of the braid and extending circumferentially around the first axis, wherein the wrapper defines an edge of the first layer about which the braid is folded. The multi-layer braided article may form part of a blade for an aircraft. A sleeve may be provided around a conical portion of the article to connect the article to something else, such as a propeller hub, where the multi-layer braided article is formed as part of a blade. The sleeve may provide a primary or secondary load path.

The disclosure describes composite liners (such as acoustic panels, fan track liners, and/or ice impact panels or boxes for turbofan engines) and techniques for forming composite liners. In some examples, the composite liner includes at least one region comprising a reinforcement architecture comprising a matrix material, a plurality of relatively tough polymer-based reinforcement elements, and a plurality of second reinforcement elements. The plurality of relatively tough polymer-based reinforcement elements and the plurality of second reinforcement elements are embedded in the matrix material.

Disclosed is a method of forming a 3D woven omega-shaped stiffener by flat weaving a plurality of layers of interwoven warp and weft fibers to form a flat woven fabric having a cap portion, a first and a second web portion, a first and second foot portion, and an inner wrap portion. The 3D woven fabric is woven so that least some of the weft fibers are continuous across a juncture between the web portion and the foot portions. The flat woven fabric is then formed into the omega shape.

A semi-finished product for the manufacture of a structural component has a plurality of prepreg tapes, each having unidirectionally arranged reinforcing fibers embedded in a thermoplastic matrix material, and with a plurality of connecting strands containing a thermoplastic material. The prepreg tapes and the connecting strands are either joined to form a textile sheet structure or the prepreg tapes are arranged to form a multiaxial fabric, individual layers of the fabric being joined by the connecting strands. Further, a method for manufacturing a curved structural component from such a semi-finished product is described.

A system for constructing a composite structure includes a braiding machine, a winding tool and a forming machine. The composite structure is constructed of a wound tubular braiding. The wound tubular braiding is constructed of a biaxial or triaxial tubular braid of unidirectional tape.

Methods are provided for creating a component from a preform having a network of fibers having, after the shaping of the preform, an out-of-register angle. The methods include: defining an orthogonal local frame of reference, defining a natural local frame of reference, defining a linked frame of reference, expressing a tensor of the stiffnesses of the woven composite material in said natural local frame of reference, constructing a tensor of the deformations in the orthogonal local frame of reference, expressing, in the linked frame of reference, the tensor of the deformations, calculating a tensor of the stresses in the natural local frame of reference, expressing, in the orthogonal local frame of reference, the stresses tensor, expressing the stiffnesses tensor, constructing a tangent operator, establishing an optimized configuration for the network, and locally adapting the network before impregnating said network.