A method for bonding thermoplastic fiber-composite parts comprises providing surface texture on one or both parts being bonded, and/or providing both parts with engagement features. Such surface textures and engagement features have a specific geometry and fiber alignment that facilitate fibrous interlock between the two parts at a bonding interface via in-situ consolidation.

The present disclosure relates to a housing having an interior and an exterior. The housing includes a first housing piece and a second housing piece that are coupled together by a joint. The joint includes a bonding material and the joint is configured such that when the bonding material is pressurized during formation of the joint the bonding material is predisposed to move toward the interior of the housing as compared to the exterior of the housing.

A snap-action non-separable connection between the lid and container, incorporating snap-action profiles formed in the top part of the container around the opening for filling the container, and snap-action profiles formed in the lid, where the said profiles interlock, is characterised in that the snap-action profiles in the top part of the container are formed on the front surface of that part into segments which do not contact one another, where formed on the side surface of each segment is at least one snap protrusion and where in the top part of the lid are slots on the side surface of which formed is at least one snap ledge, and where the number of the slots in the lid is equal to the number of the said segments.

An end cap for a pressure vessel has at least one part for connecting the end cap to a housing. The at least one part comprises a number of recesses. The recesses are arranged to form at least one fluid passage between an inside and an outside of the end cap when the end cap is plugged on the housing. A housing for a pressure vessel has at least one counterpart for connecting an end cap to the housing by engaging a part of the end cap. The at least one counterpart comprises a number of recesses. The recesses are arranged to form at least one fluid passage between an inside and an outside of the housing when the end cap is plugged on the housing. A method for leak testing a pressure vessel and a method for checking a connection between at least one end cap and a housing of a pressure vessel for leak tightness are also described.

Provided are a fuel tank made of polyketone and a method of manufacturing the same. The method includes injection-molding an upper cover and a lower cover using an injection-molding machine, placing the upper cover and the lower cover at a relatively high position and a relatively low position, respectively, assembling the upper cover and the lower cover with each other, and bonding contact surfaces between the upper cover and the lower cover to each other using a laser beam. Since the upper cover and the lower cover are formed at the same time and are bonded to each other immediately after being assembled by a machine, it is possible to achieve automated production, mass production and remarkable cost reduction. Further, since the fuel tank has sufficient rigidity due to the rigidity of polyketone without an additional reinforcing member, it is possible to manufacture a lightweight fuel tank.

A seamless housing includes a first cover and a second cover. The first cover has a first outer surface. The first outer surface has a first outer edge. The second cover covers to the first cover and has a second outer surface. The second outer surface has a second outer edge. The first outer edge and the second outer edge coincide. The first outer surface and the second outer surface form a corner at the junction of the first outer edge and the second outer edge.

A laser joining method and device includes a pressure-applying clamping device, which presses a first and a second workpiece against one another at least after the workpieces have been locally plasticized, and a mask having mask structures, which allow laser light to pass only in the region of the bonding contact faces, wherein at least the workpiece facing the laser source is formed by a three-dimensional molded part, which is not planar at least on the first contour side facing the clamping element and/or on the second contour side facing the second workpiece, and wherein the clamping element, with the bearing side thereof for the first workpiece, is adapted to the first contour side of the first workpiece. The mask structures are created on the bearing side of the clamping element facing the first workpiece or on the second contour side of the first workpiece facing the second workpiece.

This specification discloses an article of manufacture. The article of manufacture has at least one structural blank and at least one guide. The structural blank has a plurality of oriented fiber plies in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide has a plurality of random dispersed fibers in a thermoplastic matrix. The guide is affixed to the structural blank by injection molding and over molding the guide onto the structural blank. The article of manufacture can take a number of forms for use in industries such as aircraft, automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, trains or watercraft.

The invention provides a method of forming a wind turbine blade. The blade has a main blade module that defines a main body of the blade and includes a first mating feature, e.g. a tongue. The blade also includes a separate edge module that defines at least part of a trailing edge of the blade and includes a second mating feature, e.g. a recess. The method includes applying an adhesive to at least one of the first mating feature and the second mating feature. The method includes arranging the separate edge module relative to the main blade module such that the first and second mating features are mutually adjacent. The method includes applying a pressure force to squeeze the adhesive to bond the first and second mating features together. The pressure force is caused by removing air from, or injecting air into, an air sealed region.

A composite panel manufacturing process with interlocking connections. The method includes laying out the first sheet of pre-preg epoxy carbon fiber, upon a polished and released aluminum tool. A second sheet of epoxy fiberglass is laid out over the top side of the first sheet. Rigid structural foam is laid on top of the second sheet of epoxy fiberglass. A third sheet of pre-preg epoxy fiberglass is laid on top of the rigid structural foam. A fourth sheet of pre-preg epoxy carbon is laid on top of the third sheet of pre-preg epoxy fiberglass with heavy resin/top side out to form a plurality of panels. The plurality of panels are cured to form a multilayer panel. Core material is removed along one edge of a first multilayer panel to make a U-shaped channel having a base and parallel flanges. A grooved slot is cut along one edge of the next multilayer panel. The panels are joined at the corner using an adhesive.