A method eliminates voids in the bond line and manipulates a thickness of the bond line. This method includes: applying an adhesive at a center of an area of a structure; placing a doubler on the adhesive over the area of the structure, wherein the doubler has a peripheral edge; and maintaining a negative pressure at the peripheral edge of the doubler while simultaneously maintaining a positive pressure at the doubler to purge entrapped gases and control a thickness of the bond line at the peripheral edge of the doubler.

Disclosed are a vacuum suction nozzle for improving vacuum suction performance and a vacuum suction apparatus including the same. The nozzle includes blade portions extending from both sides thereof so as to reduce a gap occurring between the nozzle and an outer skin material for a vacuum insulation panel (VIP) or other vacuum wrapping paper when the outer skin material or vacuum wrapping paper is sealed, thereby minimizing the occurrence of a leak and thus enabling efficient vacuum suction. Further, the nozzle achieves efficient vacuum suctioning by ensuring a suction channel inside the vacuum insulation panel (VIP) or other vacuum wrapping paper through a protrusion extending to the front of the nozzle.

An apparatus for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components includes a pressurization arrangement for jointly covering, at least in a region of a joining zone, thermoplastic fiber composite components to be joined and applying pressure to the thermoplastic fiber composite components to press the thermoplastic fiber composite components against one another, at least in the joining zone, the pressurization arrangement being flexible, at least in some section or sections. A welding device is configured for welding the fiber composite components in the joining zone during pressurization. The pressurization arrangement and welding device are configured to weld the thermoplastic fiber composite components in a pressurized state in the joining zone. The pressurization arrangement is configured to maintain pressurization independently of the welding device until the joining zone solidifies. A cover is also disclosed for a pressurization device for thermally joining thermoplastic fiber composite components.

An apparatus and method for joining pipes includes a plate for melting mating surfaces of the pipes to be joined. Additionally, the apparatus utilizes a vacuum in order to push the first and second pipes together in lieu of hand or mechanical pressure which may be inconsistent. Additionally, the vacuum allows the pipes to be joined to settle on each other in order to create a pressure about a periphery of the end of the pipe being joined to the other pipe. The consistent pressure creates a very strong joint between the first and second pipes.

According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for manufacturing a 3D structure includes: making a plurality of single piece molds having a same surface shape as a portion of a surface of the 3D structure; making a plurality of exterior members having the same surface as the portion of the surface of the 3D structure by using the respective single piece molds; and forming the 3D structure by connecting the plurality of exterior members.

An ergonomic frame-filler placement tool is manually operable to supply a vacuum fluid flow at a distal end of the tool that can be used by a worker to pick up and hold a piece of frame-filler material to the distal end of the tool, which enables the worker to manipulate the tool to position the piece of frame-filler material over a desired location of a fuselage mandrel and then manually stop the vacuum fluid flow at the distal end of the tool to position the piece of frame-filler material at the desired location on the mandrel.

A method and apparatus for attaching a branch polymeric fitting to a host polymeric pipe in which a flexible heating blanket is inserted between and used to heat the respective branch and host pipe surfaces. When the parts reach the appropriate temperature, the pipes are separated a small distance and the heating blanket is removed. The branch fitting and host pipe are then fused by placing the heated pipe ends in contact and applying pressure.

An apparatus and method for joining pipes includes a plate for melting mating surfaces of the pipes to be joined. Additionally, the apparatus utilizes a vacuum in order to push the first and second pipes together in lieu of hand or mechanical pressure which may be inconsistent. Additionally, the vacuum allows the pipes to be joined to settle on each other in order to create a pressure about a periphery of the end of the pipe being joined to the other pipe. The consistent pressure creates a very strong joint between the first and second pipes.

A repair patch includes a composite material to repair a a repair target of a composite material. The repair patch includes bonding surfaces which face a bonded surface of a counterbored hole formed in the part to be repaired, and are bonded to the counterbored hole; and an opposite surface opposite to the bonding surfaces in a thickness direction. The opposite surface has a curved plane with a first surface side curvature radius protruding toward the opposite surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the opposite surface. The bonded surface has a curved plane with a second surface side curvature radius protruding toward the bonding surfaces facing the bonded surface in a cross section cut along a plane intersecting an axial direction in the bonded surface. The first surface side curvature radius is smaller than the second surface side curvature radius.

A method of producing vehicles includes coating a vehicle body with paint, drying the paint, mounting attachment parts on load-bearing components of the vehicle body that has been coated with the paint that has been dried, and applying an adhesive film including an adhesive layer to a surface of the vehicle body that has been coated with the paint that has been dried or at least one attachment part mounted thereon, wherein, to apply the adhesive film, the adhesive film is positioned between the surface and an elastic membrane with an automated system, and the elastic membrane is transformed in selected regions into a curved state with a convex and a concave side and is brought into contact with the surface with the convex side in front such that the adhesive layer of the adhesive film is pressed onto the surface by the membrane over the entire surface area.