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.

A system for pultruding a beam comprises a pulling mechanism continuously pulling on a preform of yarns including a thermoplastic matrix and fibers, the pulling mechanism being downstream of the system. A pultrusion die has a tapering channel portion heated such that the preform is at a desired low viscosity temperature for resin in the thermoplastic matrix to impregnate the fibers. A cooling tube is at a downstream end of the pultrusion die. A cooling module is spaced from the pultrusion die by the cooling tube, the cooling module to cool the cooling tube before the preform reaches the pulling mechanism, wherein the cooling tube defines a cooling channel. A pultrusion mandrel may be present.

In the pultrusion of reinforced plastic profiles in strand form, the strands of the reinforcement are brought together in a positioning device and subsequently embedded in the plastic. The pulling of the strands of the reinforcement through the positioning device leads to an unwanted contraction and uncontrolled positioning of the reinforcement in the plastic profile. The invention envisages forming the positioning device by multiple successive positioning means, of which at least some positioning means can be periodically moved forward in the direction of production and also moved back counter to the direction of production. As a result, there is an alternating tensioning and compression of individual regions of the reinforcement. This makes exact positioning of the reinforcement in the plastic profile possible and prevents contraction of the reinforcement.

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.

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.

A method for manufacturing a part for a wind turbine blade, and in particular a part of a shear web for a wind turbine blade, is described. The method comprises pultruding the part, wherein an in-line shaping of the part is performed, to provide a part having a cross-sectional profile which varies in the longitudinal length of the part. Providing a shear web having a portion which varies in cross-sectional profile results in production of a wind turbine blade part which can be accurately controlled to have precise geometrical profile corresponding to a desired blade profile, with minimal waste of materials.

A method for in-line processing of pre-formed pultruded products may generally include transporting a pre-formed pultruded product in a processing direction along a travel path, wherein the product includes a combination of fibers and resin and wherein the product extends lengthwise in the processing direction and defines an initial width in a widthwise direction. The method may also include roughening an outer surface of the pre-formed pultruded product as the product is being transported in the processing direction along the travel path and cutting the pre-formed pultruded product lengthwise in the processing direction to form first and second pultruded plates as the product is being transported in the processing direction along the travel path, wherein each of the first and second pultruded plates defines a width in the widthwise direction that is less than the initial width of the product.

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 fibre-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 fibres produced by pultrusion as reinforcing fibres, said fibres being oriented parallel to one another in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

The present application pertains to components such as tank covers with increased slip resistance and processes for making such components. Generally, a patterned release fabric is employed in a manner such that a formed fiber reinforced plastic component has a textured pattern on at least one surface to increase slip resistance.

Embodiments relate to a method for producing a shaped thermoplastic composite, the method including a pultrusion process and including: a step of feeding, providing fibers in a direction A of a pultrusion path, a step of wetting fibers which includes the passage of fibers through a thermoplastic composition, a step of heating, which includes a polymerization of the thermoplastic composition having impregnated the fibers to form a heated thermoplastic composite having a first section, a step of shaping through a shaping device having a second section, and the second section being smaller than the first section, to provide a heated thermoplastic composite having a second section, and a step of cooling to produce a shaped thermoplastic composite.