Processes for forming fiber reinforced composite aircraft components, i.e., aircraft components formed of a cured fiber-reinforced resin, are provided. According to specific embodiments, a finished surface of the composite aircraft component can be achieved by providing in-mold coating of the cured fiber-reinforced resin by a dried and cured film layer of a water-based primer paint material to thereby achieve a composite aircraft component having an exterior surface that does not necessarily require further finishing.

The present disclosure is directed to a method for applying a multi-colored coating to a composite structure comprising applying a first co-curable film layer comprising a first color marking to a composite tool, applying a second co-curable film layer comprising a second color marking over the composite tool and at least partially over the first co-curable film layer to create a lay-up of a multi-colored marking, applying a composite structure over the lay-up of the multi-colored marking, and curing the lay-up of the multi-colored marking and the composite structure in a single curing step to create a cured multi-colored coating on the composite structure. A multi-colored coating for marking a composite structure and an aircraft part having a multi-colored marking are also provided.

A method for producing a plastic tank having one or more reinforcements. The method includes forming at least one part of the tank wall with a semi-finished panel made of plastic having at least one outer layer composed of a first thermoplastic, forming a reinforcement for the tank wall with at least one fibre-reinforced structural component comprising a matrix composed of a second thermoplastic that is weldable to the first thermoplastic. The fibre-reinforced structural component is then applied to a predefined region of the at least one outer layer of the semi-finished panel. The fibre-reinforced structural component is then fused with the outer layer of the semi-finished panel by applying heat to the semi-finished panel and the applied fibre-reinforced structural component. The fused fibre-reinforced structural component and semi-finished panel is then formed into a final shape. Optionally, the formed component is then connected to at least one other part of the tank wall to form the complete tank wall.

A method for producing a sandwich panel with a reinforced foam core includes inserting rod-shaped, thermoplastic reinforcing elements into a thermoplastic foam material such that the reinforcing elements extend through the foam material. End regions of the reinforcing elements project out of the foam material. The foam material is thermoformed to form a reinforced foam core, wherein the end regions of the reinforcing elements are integrally formed by applying temperature and pressure to the cover surfaces of the foam material and are bonded to the foam material in a fused connection. A thermoplastic cover layer is laminated on either side by applying temperature and pressure to the reinforced foam core on the cover surfaces of the foam material in order to form the sandwich panel, wherein the cover layers are bonded to the reinforced foam core in a fused connection.

The present disclosure is directed to an apparatus for manufacturing a composite component. The apparatus includes a mold onto which the composite component is formed. The mold is disposed within a grid defined by a first axis and a second axis. The apparatus further includes a first frame assembly disposed above the mold, and a plurality of printheads coupled to the first frame assembly within the grid in an adjacent arrangement along the first axis. At least one of the mold or the plurality of printheads is moveable along the first axis, the second axis, or both. At least one of the printheads of the plurality of printheads is moveable independently of one another along a third axis.

The invention is characterized by a semifinished composite structure product with the at least two layers, of which the at least one layer, in which the continuous fibers are contained, is heated such that the matrix of thermoplastic material is heated within at least one first surface region to or above a melting temperature that can be assigned to the thermoplastic material, and the matrix of thermoplastic material is kept to a temperature below the melting temperature within a second surface region directly adjoining the first surface region. The semifinished composite structure product is heated in this way so that the moldable thermoplastic, continuous fiber-reinforced composite structure in which the continuous fibers within the first surface region are movable relative to each other and those within the second surface region are spatially fixed relative to each other.

Polyurethane coating compositions are disclosed that include an isocyanate-reactive component that includes a polycyclic polyether polyol that is the reaction product of a reaction mixture that includes a polycyclic polyol starter, and an alkylene oxide, as well as an isocyanate-functional component that includes a non-aromatic polyisocyanate. The polyurethane coating compositions may be particularly useful as a gel coat in the manufacture of glass fiber reinforced plastics.

In an aspect, the present disclosure is directed to a composite structure. The composite structure includes a three-dimensional (3-D) grid structure and at least one monolithic skin layer at least partially enveloping and securing the grid structure. As such, the grid structure is configured to stabilize the composite structure under at least one of: static local buckling and dynamic global buckling.

A method for forming a fiber reinforced thermoplastic part may comprise the steps of locating a thermoplastic material over a mold tool, heating the thermoplastic material to a pliable forming temperature, conforming the thermoplastic material to a mold surface of the mold tool, and depositing a plurality of fiber strips over the thermoplastic material.

An assembly (113) for composite manufacture is provided. The assembly comprises a cured resin impregnated reinforcement material (112) comprising a fibre component and a resin matrix component, in which the resin matrix component comprises polyurethane, the assembly having a length to width ratio of at least 5:1, and the assembly defining a longitudinal direction (L) along its length; and a peel ply (116) in contact with the cured resin impregnated reinforcement material (112), the peel ply (116) comprising a woven layer having a plurality of longitudinal fibres (118) extending in the longitudinal direction (L); and a plurality of transverse fibres (120) extending in a transverse direction (T) normal to the longitudinal direction (L); in which the areal density of the plurality of transverse fibres (120) is higher than the areal density of the plurality of longitudinal fibres (118).