A carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material includes: carbon fibers including carbon fiber bundles and a thermoplastic resin, in which (1) a coefficient of variation (CV1) of a total areal weight of the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material is 10% or lower, (2) a coefficient of variation (CV2) of a carbon fiber volume fraction (Vf) in the carbon-fiber-reinforced resin composite material which is defined by Expression (a) is 15% or lower, and (3) a weight average fiber length of the carbon fibers is 1 to 100 mm. Carbon Fiber Volume Fraction (Vf)=100×Volume of Carbon Fibers/(Volume of Carbon Fibers+Volume of Thermoplastic Resin) . . . Expression (a).

A method produces a fiber-reinforced body component for a motor vehicle. The body component has at least one opening, in particular one door opening or one window opening. The method includes at least the following steps: providing the body component; applying a reinforcing element made of fiber composite material having reinforcing fibers embedded in a matrix, in order to stiffen the body component, the matrix being in an uncured state, and the reinforcing element being applied to an opening frame of the opening, which opening frame is formed by the body component.

A method of manufacturing a transport refrigeration unit is provided. The method includes providing an enclosure including an outer layer and a supporter. Providing the enclosure includes supplying one of a first material and a second material to a mold. This also includes supplying the other of the first material and the second material on the one of the first material and the second material that is supplied to the mold. Also, this includes curing the first material and the second material integrally that are supplied to the mold. The first material forms into the outer layer and the second material forms into the supporter. The second material includes a plurality of reinforcing fibers.

The present invention provides an apparatus for recycling composite material and a method for recycling composite material by using same, the apparatus including: a mixing tank in which pulverized products of fiber-reinforced waste plastic are dispersed and mixed in water together with a filler, thereby forming a composite material mixture; a fixing agent addition part for forming a recyclable material by supplying, to the composite material mixture, a fixing agent that aggregates the pulverized products of the fiber-reinforced waste plastic and the filler; and a filtering tank in which the recyclable material is supplied such that a recyclable composite sheet is formed.

A composite pressure vessel assembly includes a plurality of lobes, each of the lobes having at least one interior wall and at least one curved wall, the plurality of lobes being positioned in a side by side arrangement and extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. Also included is a plurality of end caps disposed at the ends of the lobes, wherein the plurality of lobes and end caps are formed of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. A method of manufacturing a composite pressure vessel assembly is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of lobes consisting of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. The method also includes forming a main body with the plurality of lobes, the lobes disposed in a side by side arrangement.

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

The disclosure relates to acoustic panels and methods for preparing them. The disclosure relates more particularly to panels having a nonwoven facing and to methods for making such panels. One aspect of the disclosure is a method for preparing an acoustic panel comprising providing a base structure. The base structure has one or more edges, an outward major surface having a total are, and an inward major surface opposing the outward major surface. The base structure has a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of at least about 0.3. The method includes disposing directly against the outward major surface of the base structure a sprayable mixture comprising a plurality of fibers, one or more binders, and a dispersive medium. The method includes drying the disposed mixture to provide a facing layer disposed on the outward major surface of the base structure, the facing layer having an exterior major surface opposing the outward major surface of the base structure.

An embodiment system for molding a plurality of plastic composite material panels to be assembled on a vehicle body includes a coextrusion unit configured to manufacture a multi-layered sheet in which a plurality of resin layers are laminated, a thermoforming unit configured to manufacture a forming sheet having a plurality of panel forming portions partitioned by a forming connection portion by thermoforming the multi-layered sheet, a reinforcing source spraying unit configured to spray a reinforcing source in which a fiber material and a polyurethane compound are mixed toward a preset region on the forming sheet, and a press-molding unit configured to press-mold the forming sheet applied with the reinforcing source to manufacture a composite material panel sheet in which a reinforcing layer is formed on the forming sheet.

A composite pressure vessel assembly includes a plurality of lobes, each of the lobes having at least one interior wall and at least one curved wall, the plurality of lobes being positioned in a side by side arrangement and extending in a longitudinal direction from a first end to a second end. Also included is a plurality of end caps disposed at the ends of the lobes, wherein the plurality of lobes and end caps are formed of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. A method of manufacturing a composite pressure vessel assembly is provided. The method includes forming a plurality of lobes consisting of at least one fiber-reinforced polymer. The method also includes forming a main body with the plurality of lobes, the lobes disposed in a side by side arrangement.

A composite oil pan for a work vehicle engine and a method of forming the composite engine oil pan include forming a sheet of metal into a first pan and open molding a fiber-reinforced polymer resin onto the first pan forming a second pan. The first pan has a first bottom wall and first peripheral walls extending from edges of the first bottom wall to define a sump, the first peripheral walls terminating in a first peripheral flange. The second pan has a second bottom wall and second peripheral walls abutting the first bottom wall and the first peripheral walls, the second peripheral walls terminating in a second peripheral flange. The first pan defines a thin metal structure with an inner surface extending across the first bottom wall, first peripheral walls and first peripheral flange; the second pan reinforces the first pan without abutting the inner surface.