The present disclosure provides a high-efficiency filament helical winding device, which includes a frame body and a plurality of multi-filar guides. The frame body is provided with a through-hole, the plurality of multi-filar guides distributed in a circumference along a center of the through-hole are rotationally connected to the frame body and filament is extended out from each multi-filar guide in the plurality of multi-filar guides, and the frame body is provided with a first driving mechanism that drives each multi-filar guide to rotate.

A method of determining a void volume during manufacture of a composite pipe formed of concentric layers of adjacently positioned, helical windings of composite tape has the steps of: (a) scanning the surface of a layer of adjacently positioned, helical windings to generate scanning information; (b) using the scanning information to locate gap(s) between adjacent windings and to determine the number of gaps and characteristic dimensions of each gap in the layer; and (c) generating a calculated void volume of the layer, using the number of gaps and the characteristic dimensions of each gap for the layer. The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus for determining a void volume during manufacture of a composite pipe formed of concentric layers of helically wound composite tape.

A method of determining a void volume during manufacture of a composite pipe formed of concentric layers of adjacently positioned, helical windings of composite tape has the steps of: (a) scanning the surface of a layer of adjacently positioned, helical windings to generate scanning information; (b) using the scanning information to locate gap(s) between adjacent windings and to determine the number of gaps and characteristic dimensions of each gap in the layer; and (c) generating a calculated void volume of the layer, using the number of gaps and the characteristic dimensions of each gap for the layer. The invention also relates to a corresponding apparatus for determining a void volume during manufacture of a composite pipe formed of concentric layers of helically wound composite tape.

Tubing comprising a tubing wall formed of an elongate thermoplastic ribbon helically wrapped and heat bonded to itself to form the tubing wall. The tubing may include one or more elongate conductors helically wrapped around and along the tubing wall. The tubing may include an elongate reinforcement rib helically wrapped around and along the tubing wall such that the tubing wall includes a first portion in which the elongate reinforcement rib covers the one or more elongate conductors and a second portion in which the one or more elongate conductors are uncovered by the elongate reinforcement rib and the elongate reinforcement rib wraps around the tubing wall.

Methods of making a composite article are provided herein. The method can include an unwinding step including unwinding a fiber substrate material from a creel at an unwinding velocity and an impregnation step including applying an uncured resin composition to the fiber substrate material to form a resin-fiber material. The method further includes a winding step comprising applying the resin-fiber material onto a shaped surface at a winding velocity and a solidifying step comprising applying heat to the resin-fiber material to initiate an exothermic reaction comprising polymerization, cross-linking, or both of the uncured resin composition. Temperature of the resin-fiber material can be monitored during operation of the method and a polymerization front velocity set point (v.sub.pfs) and an operating polymerization front velocity (v.sub.pfo) can be determined. Parameters can be adjusted to maintain a v.sub.pfo that is substantially the same as the v.sub.pfs. Systems for performing said methods are also provided.

A flexible coupling for transmitting torque between parts of a transmission shaft system comprises a tubular section of continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material which has been modified to form a living hinge section with reduced bending stiffness to allow flexion of the tubular section. The tubular section may be modified through the provision of a pattern of formations within the living hinge section. The formations may be in the form of apertures and/or recesses in the continuous-fibre-reinforced composite material to create a plurality of living hinges in the material between, in particular slots and/or grooves.

The present disclosure provides a high-efficiency filament helical winding device, which includes a frame body and a plurality of multi-filar guides. The frame body is provided with a through-hole, the plurality of multi-filar guides distributed in a circumference along a center of the through-hole are rotationally connected to the frame body and filament is extended out from each multi-filar guide in the plurality of multi-filar guides, and the frame body is provided with a first driving mechanism that drives each multi-filar guide to rotate.

A reinforcing body and a method for its manufacturing. The reinforcing body has at least one reinforcing bar. Each reinforcing bar has a core with a peripheral surface at which a rib structure with at least one rib and at least one depression is provided. The core is formed by at least one first fiber strand embedded in a core matrix. For creating the at least one rib at least one second fiber strand is embedded into a rib matrix, wherein the at least one second fiber strand and the rib matrix are separated by at least one depression in a direction parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the reinforcing bar, such that the at least one second fiber strand is separated into fiber strand sections. The at least one first and the at least one second fiber strand have fibers of different materials.

A reinforcing body and a method for its manufacturing. The reinforcing body has at least one reinforcing bar. Each reinforcing bar has a core with a peripheral surface at which a rib structure with at least one rib and at least one depression is provided. The core is formed by at least one first fiber strand embedded in a core matrix. For creating the at least one rib at least one second fiber strand is embedded into a rib matrix, wherein the at least one second fiber strand and the rib matrix are separated by at least one depression in a direction parallel to a longitudinal center axis of the reinforcing bar, such that the at least one second fiber strand is separated into fiber strand sections. The at least one first and the at least one second fiber strand have fibers of different materials.

The invention embodies an apparatus for producing resin tubes, the apparatus having a hollow supporting structure, wherein an endless carrier strip is windable around the outside of the supporting structure in a plurality of adjacent windings to form a mould.