A method for producing a reinforcing bar by pultrusion, the method comprising the steps of: a) providing a source of fibres; b) assembling the fibres into a bundle; c) impregnating the bundle with a thermosetting resin; d) eliminating excess resin from the bundle; e) compressing the bundle in a centripetal manner; f) exposing the bundle to a radiant energy source; g) spraying particles onto a surface of the bundle; and h) exposing the bundle to radiation in order to initiate, on the surface of same, the polymerisation of the resin. The present invention also concerns a system provided with corresponding devices in order to be able to implement the method. The present invention also concerns a reinforcing bar obtained with the described method and/or system.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating preforms. One embodiment is a method comprising acquiring tows of fiber reinforced material, selecting a number of tows to utilize for a bundle having an aggregate shape, assembling the tows together into the bundle, curving the assembled tows by slipping the assembled tows with respect to each other, drawing the bundle through a die to bind the bundle into a preform, enforcing a longitudinally varying cross section along the preform, and locking in a curvature of the preform.

Consolidation tooling is used in a continuous compression molding machine to produce a fiber reinforced thermoplastic part having a varying height. The tooling includes first and second tool dies adapted to compress and form a multi-ply stack of thermoplastic prepreg into a part, and at least a first tooling sleeve movable through the first and second tool dies. The tooling sleeve has at least a first tapered portion engageable with the multi-ply stack.

A 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system, comprises one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines; a CNC control system controlling the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to form a heated prepreg thermoplastic composite material into a 3D thermoplastic composite pultrusion, the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines include a plurality of motion control CNC rotational motors and CNC actuators operatively coupled to the motion control CNC rotational motors, a flexible chilled band shapeable by the CNC actuators to form the heated prepreg thermoplastic composite material into the thermoplastic composite pultrusion, and bearings that the motion control CNC rotational motors pivot the actuators about and hold the actuators in position during a consolidation process.

A method for manufacturing a flexible composite belt or cable, in the method, one or more parallel reinforced plastic profiles (11) are manufactured by pultrusion, continuous lamination or other continuous method. After surface treatment, the reinforced plastic profiles (11) are guided at a short distance from one another to coating treatment, which is carried out by extrusion or lamination or pultrusion. In the coating treatment, the reinforced plastic profiles are enveloped with a coating material (12) improving wear resistance which joins the reinforced plastic profiles (11) together and forms the coating of a finished belt or cable (10). Finally, the finished belt or cable (10) is wound on a reel.

A clamping system for securing a composite charge in position relative to a forming mandrel includes an upstream hinge clamp and a downstream hinge clamp for clamping opposing ends of the composite charge in respective position relative to a mandrel upstream end and a mandrel downstream end during forming of the composite charge onto the forming mandrel. Each one of the hinge clamps is configured to fold a corresponding end of the composite charge from a generally approximately flat configuration to an angled configuration during forming of the composite charge onto the forming mandrel. At least one of the hinge axes is oriented approximately parallel to a folding axis located proximate an intersection of a mandrel top portion with at least one of opposing mandrel side surfaces.

The invention relates to a steering column for a motor vehicle comprising a steering shaft which is mounted in a steering shaft mounting unit and is rotatable about a longitudinal axis, and comprising a support unit for connecting the steering shaft mounting unit to the body of the motor vehicle. At least one component of the steering column is composed at least partially of a fiber-reinforced composite material and the component lies in the flux of force between the steering column and the body. The component is provided with at least one pultrusion layer which has multiple fibers produced by pultrusion as reinforcing fibers, said fibers being oriented parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

A 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method based upon a 3D variable die system and including one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to continuously produce thermoplastic composite pultrusions with at least one of varying cross-section geometry and constant surface contours, varying cross-section geometry and varying surface contours, and constant cross-section geometry and varying surface contours. The 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method including at least one of one or more pairs of shapeable and flexible dual-temperature bands and a rotating assembly that rotates the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to impart a twist to the thermoplastic composite.

A 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method based upon a 3D variable die system and including one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to continuously produce thermoplastic composite pultrusions with at least one of varying cross-section geometry and constant surface contours, varying cross-section geometry and varying surface contours, and constant cross-section geometry and varying surface contours. The 3D thermoplastic pultrusion system and method including at least one of multiple pairs of shapeable and flexible bands and a rotating assembly that rotates the one or more sets of 3D thermoplastic forming machines to impart a twist to the thermoplastic composite.

A fully impregnated fiber-reinforced thermoplastic granule includes a fiber core impregnated with a thermoplastic resin and coated with the resin and subsequently polymerized to form a thermoplastic. The granule is formed in a continuous process including a continuous fiber strand being coated and impregnated with a thermoplastic resin, curing the thermoplastic resin, and cutting the fiber and thermoplastic into granules of a desired length. The continuous process results in a uniform, fully impregnated fiber core in the granule which results in a longer reinforcing fiber for added strength in subsequently produced products formed from the granules.