Mechanically attaching articles made from composites has problems due to the difference in properties of the composite in the x, y planar direction and the z perpendicular direction, this results in different properties between the composite and the attachment member such as differences in coefficients of thermal expansion which can weaken the joint further leading to differences in moisture uptake which can further reduce the strength and robustness of the joint. The invention relates to the selection of the position of a joint in order to reduce such problems and to operating the moulding process in a way that improves the provision of mechanical attachments such as bolt holes.

A reinforcing article (10, 100, 200) includes a porous substrate layer (105, 205) and a plurality of parallel first continuous fiber elements (12, 114, 212) spaced apart from each other and extending along a first direction and fixed to the porous substrate (105, 205). Each first continuous fiber element (12, 114, 212) includes a plurality of parallel and co-extending continuous fibers (22, 122, 222) embedded in a thermoplastic resin (24, 124, 224).

The invention relates to a method for depositing one- or two-dimensional fiber structures in order to form a two- or three-dimensional fiber structure, in particular a fiber structure in the form of a fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) or FRP semi-finished product, using a production machine including at least one depositing device and at least one fiber support. The one- or two-dimensional fiber structures have at least one unidirectional fiber layer. The depositing device deposits the one- or two-dimensional fiber structures onto the fiber support in a depositing direction in a controlled manner such that the fiber directions of the deposited one- or two-dimensional fiber structures assume an angle α>20°, preferably α>60°, and a maximum of α=90°, relative to the depositing direction. The one- or two-dimensional fiber structures are deposited on the fiber support in a substantially tension-free manner with respect to the fiber direction of the fiber structures.

Some embodiments are directed to a preform including reinforcing fibres and shape memory alloy (SMA) wires, a composite material including a polymer matrix with a preform embedded therein, articles including a composite material, methods of making preforms, composite materials and articles.

Methods for manufacturing composite components having complex geometries are provided. In one exemplary aspect, a method includes laying up each of a plurality of laminates to an initial shape with a substantially planar geometry or a gently curved geometry. Then, a laid up laminate is formed to a final shape for each predefined section defined by the composite component to be manufactured. Thereafter, the laminates formed to their respective final shapes are stacked to build up the complex geometry of the composite component. Next, the composite component can be cured and finish machined as necessary to form the completed composite component.

Provided is a method of designing a composite material laminated structure, the method including: a machine learning step of performing machine learning on a plurality of pieces of data each of which includes a pair of a physical property value of the composite material laminated structure and a laminate configuration of the composite material laminated structure, to obtain a relational expression depicting a relationship between the physical property value and the laminate configuration, the composite material laminated structure including a plurality of layers that are laminated; and a laminate configuration information calculation step of calculating, based on the relational expression and an objective value of the physical property value, laminate configuration information which is information of the laminate configuration that enables the objective value to be obtained.

A composite material design device using a genetic algorithm includes: a first generation generating unit that generates, as a first-generation group of individuals, a plurality of individual models using each of laminate member models having strength directionalities designed on the basis of a load condition; an evaluating unit that segments each individual model in the generated group of individuals into predetermined cells, and evaluates a lamination pattern in each cell using at least one of indices including symmetry, adjacent directionality, and continuous laminability; and a next generation generating unit that selects an individual model from the group of individuals through ranked selection, generates a new individual model through crossover, replication, and mutation, and updates the group of individuals as a next generation.

The assembly (24) comprises: a woven first fabric (26) comprising filamentary warp elements (64) comprising first and second filamentary members, a woven second fabric (28), a bearing structure (30) comprising filamentary bearing elements (32) connecting the woven first and second fabrics together. For a length at rest L of the woven first fabric (26): for any elongation of the woven first fabric (26) less than or equal to (2π×H)/L, the first filamentary member has a non-zero elongation and is not broken; there is an elongation of the woven first fabric (26), less than or equal to (2π×H)/L, and beyond which the second filamentary member is broken, in which H0×K≤H where H0 is the distance between the woven first and second fabrics (26, 28) when each filamentary bearing portion (74) is at rest, and K=0.50.

A stitched multi-axial reinforcement and a method of producing a stitched multi-axial reinforcement. The stitched multi-axial reinforcement (40) may be used in applications where high quality and strength is required. The stitched multi-axial reinforcement includes at least two sets of mono- or bonded multifilaments arranged transverse to one another between reinforcing layers for ensuring good resin flow properties in directions transverse to the direction of the unidirectional rovings (20′, 32′).

A method of manufacturing a liner for reinforcing a pipe includes providing a continuous first reinforcing fibers extending in a first direction, moving the first reinforcing fibers in a machine direction such that the first direction is parallel to the machine direction, providing sheets of a material having second reinforcing fibers extending in a second direction, placing the sheets onto the moving first reinforcing fibers such that the second direction is substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and folding the sheets into a closed shape.