A composite assembly with a laminate of fibre plies impregnated with a laminate matrix material is disclosed having pad of fibre plies impregnated with a pad matrix material, and a part with a body with protrusions which extend from the body and penetrate at least some of the fibre plies of the pad. The pad is bonded to the laminate by a stepped lap joint or a scarf joint. The assembly is manufactured by pressing the protrusions into the pad, and after the protrusions have been pressed into the pad, curing a pad matrix material impregnating the pad, and bonding the pad to the laminate.

Aircraft stringers having carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) material reinforced flanges are disclosed. An example stringer to be coupled to a skin of an aircraft comprises a flange. The flange includes a first portion of a first stiffening segment. The flange further includes a first portion of a second stiffening segment coupled to the first portion of the first stiffening segment. The flange further includes a CFRP reinforcement segment coupled to the first portion of the first stiffening segment and to the first portion of the second stiffening segment. The CFRP reinforcement segment strengthens the first portion of the first stiffening segment and the first portion of the second stiffening segment.

A carrier film set configured to apply a number of stiffener assemblies to a layup mandrel, the carrier film set comprising: a number of alignment features configured to align the carrier film set relative to the layup mandrel; and a number of indexing features configured to index the number of stiffener assemblies onto the carrier film set.

A method for bonding composite substrates includes coupling a first co-cure prepreg layer having a first off-set amine to epoxide molar ratio onto a surface of a first composite substrate and coupling a second co-cure prepreg layer having a second off-set amine to epoxide molar ratio onto a surface of a second composite substrate. The first and second composite substrates are cured to the first and second co-cure prepreg layers, respectively, using a first cure cycle (including B-stage and cure temperatures) to form a first and a second co-cure prepreg layer portion. The method further includes coupling the first co-cure prepreg layer portion to the second co-cure prepreg layer portion and applying a second cure cycle to cure the first co-cure prepreg layer portion of the first composite substrate to the second co-cure prepreg layer portion of the second composite substrate to form a monolithic covalently bonded composite structure.

A method for joining structural elements to a component made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material, includes providing at least two structural elements made of at least one fiber-reinforced plastics material having a particular matrix; providing at least one film element made of a thermoplastic heavy-duty material; arranging the at least one film element on a surface of one of the structural elements or between surfaces to be joined of the at least two structural elements to be joined; and producing the component to be joined in a curing process.

A composite structure is fabricated using a preform comprising a stack of unidirectional prepreg plies that are stitched together. During curing of the prepreg, the stitches melt and dissolve.

A method of fabricating a composite assembly may include providing a first laminate and a second laminate respectively formed of first and second composite plies, and having a respective first and second cured section and a respective first and second uncured section. The method may further include interleaving the first composite plies in the first uncured section with the second composite plies in the second uncured section to form an interfacial region. The method may additionally include curing the interfacial region to join the first laminate to the second laminate and form a unitized composite assembly.

A method for manufacturing a vane from a composite material with a fitted metal leading edge includes the successive draping, on a template of the leading edge of the vane to be manufactured, of a first layer of a base material and of a second layer of an adhesive material, the transfer of the first and second draped layers in the recess of a metal foil, the positioning of the foil including the first and second draped layers alongside the leading edge of a vane preform including a fiber reinforcement impregnated with a precursor of a matrix, the co-curing of the vane preform and of the first and second draped layers so as to obtain a vane made of composite material including on its leading edge a bonded metal foil.

A method forms a butt joint between ends of first and second plies and splices the first and second plies together. The method includes the steps of: positioning a first splice edge of a first ply at a first location; positioning a second splice edge of a second ply at a second location, the second splice edge being left bare; wrapping a gum strip around the first splice edge such that the first gum strip forms a U-shaped structure in section that allows the first gum strip to extend from a first planar side of the first ply over the first splice edge to a second opposite planar side of the first ply; not wrapping a gum strip around the second splice edge; placing the first splice edge in abutting relationship to the second splice edge; and stitching the first splice edge to the second splice edge such that stitches each extend from the first planar side of the first ply, through the gum strip, to the first planar side of the second ply.

Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part. The method includes forming a skin panel preform comprising fiber reinforced material, disposing rigid end caps at the skin panel preform at end locations of stringer preforms that will be placed at the skin panel, locating the stringer preforms at the skin panel preform via the rigid end caps, and anchoring the stringer preforms to the skin panel preform.