A method of directly joining a polymer to a metal along a joint interface through the formation of CO-M chemical bonds, where M represents an element in the metal to be joined. The method includes heating the metal to a predetermined temperature above a glass transition temperature of the polymer and less than a flash ignition temperature of the polymer and less than a metal melting temperature of the metal; physically contacting at least one of the metal and the polymer; and applying compression pressure to the joint interface of the metal and the polymer when the metal is above the glass transition temperature of the polymer and less than the flash ignition temperature of the polymer and less than the metal melting temperature of the metal to generate intimate atomic contact between the metal and the polymer to create CO-M chemical bonds between the metal and the polymer.

Provided is a method for producing a laminate, comprising laminating an aramid paper sheet and a polyimide film together by performing heating and pressurizing process under conditions of a temperature of 275 to 320 C. and a pressure of 50 to 400 kgf/cm. In the present invention, an aramid paper sheet-polyimide film laminate with excellent heat resistance, electrical properties, chemical resistance, mechanical properties, and the like can be manufactured by laminating the aramid paper sheet and the polyimide film in a simple method without impairing their properties.

A method for manufacturing a flexible metal-clad laminated plate includes the steps of: (a) obtaining a laminated body by laminating a polyimide resin film including a non-thermoplastic polyimide layer and an adhesive layer containing thermoplastic polyimide, the adhesive layer being provided on at least one side of the non-thermoplastic polyimide layer, and a metal foil; and (b) subjecting the laminated body obtained in the step (a) to heat treatment under an inert gas atmosphere and a pressure of 0.20 to 0.98 MPa at a temperature of a glass transition temperature Tg of the thermoplastic polyimide20 C. to the glass transition temperature Tg+50 C.

Disclosed embodiments provide automated fiber placement techniques for fabrication of parts made from composite materials. A peening system with multiple pins provides compaction over irregular surfaces, providing superior performance as compared with traditional compaction rollers. The apparatus that carries out the techniques include a tape dispensing system, a heating system, a peening system, a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory contains instructions that when executed by the processor perform the steps of: dispensing a first ply of thermoplastic composite tape over a mandrel; dispensing a second ply of thermoplastic composite tape on the first ply; and peening the second ply onto the first ply, such that the second ply is bonded to the first ply.

A cover for a housing of a vehicle and a method of sealing a cover to the housing, where in at least one example, the cover comprises a cover body configured to cover an opening of the housing and to engage the housing at an interface around the opening. The cover may comprise a heating element embedded within the cover body and operable to at least partially melt a portion of the cover body as a part of a process for sealing the cover to the housing. The portion of the cover body may deform and conform to an interface feature at the mating surface of the housing due to the at least partial melting of the portion of the cover body, and, in some examples, the heating element may be configured to fail and be inoperable.

A method of joining overlapping thermoplastic membrane components in which a first thermoplastic membrane component and a second thermoplastic membrane component are positioned in overlapping relationship between a pair of complementary molding surfaces, with at least one of the complementary molding surfaces being defined by an electrically conductive metal susceptor. Heat is generated in the metal susceptor and transferred by thermal conduction from the metal susceptor to overlapping portions of the first and second thermoplastic membrane components to locally melt and coalesce at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the first thermoplastic membrane component and at least a portion of the thermoplastic material of the second thermoplastic membrane component. The molten thermoplastic material of the first and second thermoplastic membrane components forms a zone of coalesced thermoplastic material that, upon cooling, forms a solid weld joint that fusion welds the first and second thermoplastic membrane components together.

A glass and polymer film assembly including a glass film and a polymer film bonded to a surface of the glass film. The polymer film is directly bonded to the glass film by applying the polymer to the glass film when the glass film is above a bonding temperature of the polymer film. The glass film may have a thickness less than about 1 mm and the polymer film may be an oriented semicrystalline homopolymer which is permanently bonded to a major surface of the glass film.

Fiber-reinforced composite parts include select portions containing a plurality of co-aligned fiber. The parts are fabricated by placing substantially preforms into a mold cavity to form a layup, and compression molding the layup to consolidate the preforms to provide a fiber-reinforced composite part. Different sections of the part can be derived from preforms having different shapes and different compositions.

According to a method or an apparatus for fastening bristles in a bristle carrier (10) without using an anchor a heating (39) is provided in a tool part configured to transport the bristles. After inserting the bristles into anchoring openings (12) in the bristle carrier (10), the anchoring openings are closed by applying pressure.

A film fin sealing device is disclosed herein which may have a groove defining a base. The base of the groove of the fin sealing device may be oriented at a skewed angle with respect to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor of a heat sealing machine. Edges of a thermoplastic sheet or two stacked layers of thermoplastic sheets are introduced into the groove of the film fin sealing device and placed in contact therewith to both heat and fuse the distal edge portions of the thermoplastic sheet(s) to join the edge portions thereof to form a fin seal.