In a method for producing a fiber-reinforced resin molded body (10) by heat-compressing fiber substrates (11A to 11D) together with a thermosetting resin (15) so that the thermosetting resin (15) is impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) and cured, a thermosetting resin powder (15A) is disposed in contact with at least one surface of the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), the fiber substrates (11A to 11D) are heat-compressed together with the thermosetting resin powder (15A) by a mold (30) so that the thermosetting resin powder (15A) is melted, impregnated into the fiber substrates (11A to 11D), and cured. Also disclosed is a fiber-reinforced resin molded body as well as a vehicle or airframe including a fiber-reinforced resin molded body.

The present disclosure describes techniques for fabricating a textile article from a laminate formed by curing a reinforced fiber matrix and a resin substrate. The resin substrate may include iron oxide particles, such as iron oxide, Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, that are capable of absorbing and attenuating RF signals within a desired RF signal range, namely 0 GHz-3 GHz, 3 GHz, −8 GHz, and greater than or equal to 10 GHz. The iron oxide particles may include Fe.sub.3O.sub.4Fe, Fe.sub.3O.sub.4Ni, or Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, and/or so forth. Each iron oxide particle is selected based on the RF signal range that the textile article is intended to absorb. In other words, a change in iron oxide particle composition and proportion by volume may impact the RF signals absorbed and attenuated by the textile article.

The present disclosure describes a textile article for radio frequency (RF) absorption and attenuation. The textile includes a laminate that is formed via curing a wet laminate at room temperature for a cure time, the wet laminate comprising a resin substrate and a reinforced fiber matrix. The reinforced fiber matrix may include one of a bamboo fiber matrix, a cotton fiber matrix, a polyester fiber matrix, a nylon fiber matrix, or a wool fiber matrix. The resin substrate may include a first portion of iron oxide particles and a second portion of the elastic polymer solution, the first portion of iron oxide particles being based at least in part on an RF signal range that the textile article is configured to absorb and attenuate. For example, the iron oxide particles may include Fe.sub.3O.sub.4Fe, Fe.sub.3O.sub.4Ni, or Fe.sub.3O.sub.4, and/or so forth.

An apparatus and method for the automated manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) composite-based objects is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a material feeder, a printer, a powder system, a transfer system, and optionally a fuser. The method comprises inserting a stack of substrate sheets into a material feeder, transferring a sheet of the stack from the material feeder to a printer, depositing fluid on the single sheet while the sheet rests on a printer platen, transferring the sheet from the printer to a powder system, depositing powder onto the single sheet such that the powder adheres to the areas of the sheet onto which the printer has deposited fluid, removing any powder that did not adhere to the sheet, optionally melting the powder on the substrate, and repeating the steps for as many additional sheets as required for making a specified 3D object.

Provided is a useful improvement in a manufacturing method of a CF-SMC using a partially split continuous carbon fiber bundle. The manufacturing method of an SMC of the present invention includes (i) a step of drawing out a continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) from a package, the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) having a filament number of NK and partially split into n sub-bundles in advance, (ii) a step of chopping the continuous carbon fiber bundle (10) drawn out from the package with a rotary cutter (234) into chopped carbon fiber bundles (20), and (iii) a step of depositing the chopped carbon fiber bundles (20) on a carrier film (41) traveling below the rotary cutter (234) to form a carbon fiber mat (30). In the manufacturing method, due to a fragmentation processing, in which at least some of the chopped carbon fiber bundles before being deposited on the carrier film (41) are fragmented by being brought into contact with a rotating body, a distribution of the filament number of the chopped carbon fiber bundles in the carbon fiber mat (30) is made different from that when the fragmentation processing is not performed.

A method for producing a fiber composite laminate, including the steps of applying pressure and/or heat to a first preform, which has one or more dry fiber layers and a thermoplastic elastomer, such that the thermoplastic portion of the thermoplastic elastomer completely impregnates the dry fiber layers of the first preform in at least one first region and only partially impregnates the dry fiber layers in at least one second region and, in a thermosetting polymer matrix, impregnating and curing the fiber layers of the second region of the first preform that are still dry and have not been impregnated with the thermoplastic portion of the thermoplastic elastomer.

A process for forming defect-free fibrous composite materials. More particularly, a process for forming blister-free fibrous composites without having to actively monitor or control blister formation during molding of a stack of plies, and to blister-free composite materials fabricated therefrom. Fibrous plies are coated with a dry, particulate binder without impregnating the plies with the binder. Gaps between fibers/tapes allow air to diffuse out of the stack without affecting the binder coating, thereby avoiding blister formation.

The invention provides a powder pre-preg comprising as sole resin a vinyl ester resin having a Tg in the range of −5 to +30° C. and a melt viscosity @100° C. in the range of 2 to 75 dPa.Math.s, which can be used in making a composite at a temperature as low as 80° C.

A process is capable of producing a high-quality fiber-reinforced plastic with good yield in a short molding cycle time despite being atmospheric pressure molding. The process characterized uses local contact heating to give different temperature conditions to produce a fiber-reinforced plastic by atmospheric pressure molding from a fiber-reinforced material which contains a reinforcing fiber impregnated with a thermosetting resin composition.

An apparatus and method for the automated manufacturing of three-dimensional (3D) composite-based objects is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a material feeder, a printer, a powder system, a transfer system, and optionally a fuser. The method comprises inserting a stack of substrate sheets into a material feeder, transferring a sheet of the stack from the material feeder to a printer, depositing fluid on the single sheet while the sheet rests on a printer platen, transferring the sheet from the printer to a powder system, depositing powder onto the single sheet such that the powder adheres to the areas of the sheet onto which the printer has deposited fluid, removing any powder that did not adhere to the sheet, optionally melting the powder on the substrate, and repeating the steps for as many additional sheets as required for making a specified 3D object.