A pressure foot device and system comprising a pressure foot device for forming and applying an elongate fiber tow, wherein the pressure foot device comprises a foot surface comprising a straight foot segment, a groove comprising a flared end and defining a groove midplane, and a foot shaft housing characterized by a foot shaft's axis of rotation that is orthogonal to the straight foot segment and comprised in the groove midplane.

Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments may provide Automated Tape (or Tow) Placement (ATP) systems including machine-based parts that support prepreg tape laying processes to build composite parts. Various embodiments may be applied to materials that may be consolidated during fabrication and/or may be used to fabricate parts that may require post processing steps.

In one aspect, there is a method of making a composite skin for a tiltrotor aircraft including providing a first skin in a mold, the first skin having a periphery defined by a forward edge, an aft edge, and outboard ends; providing a plurality of honeycomb panels having an array of large cells onto the first skin, each cell having a width of at least 1 cm; assembling the plurality of honeycomb panels along the longitudinal axis of the first skin to form a honeycomb core having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; positioning a second skin onto the honeycomb core, the second skin having an outer perimeter within the periphery of the first skin; and curing an adhesive to create a bond between the first skin, the honeycomb core, and the second skin to form a composite skin.

An automated fiber bundle placement apparatus including a placing head having a pressing device, and a multi-jointed robot. The pressing device includes a pressing part, a pressing mechanism having a drive device, and a drive control device. The drive control device includes a drive command unit configured to output a drive command corresponding to a contact width of a placement die with the pressing part, the contact width being a length in the width direction of a part of the placement die facing in parallel to a contact range of the pressing part during pressing against the placement die, and is configured to control drive of the drive device to apply a pressing force corresponding to the drive command to the pressing part.

A zero-Poisson-ratio honeycomb structure and an interlocking assembly manufacturing method thereof are provided. The honeycomb structure is formed by combining a four-pointed star shaped structure and horizontal and vertical honeycomb wall arrays at star corners. The zero-Poisson-ratio honeycomb structure not only has the zero-Poisson-ratio characteristic, but also can achieve respective design of in-plane and out-of-plane mechanical properties. Meanwhile, due to the existence of the horizontal honeycomb walls and the vertical honeycomb walls, the connection of multiple honeycomb walls at angular points in the honeycomb structure is avoided. Moreover, a novel manufacturing mode is provided for the honeycomb structure in addition to prepare the honeycomb structure by utilizing a 3D printing process. The honeycomb structure can be manufactured by combining an interlocking assembly process with resin matrix composites. The performance of the honeycomb structure is further improved at the material level.

An applicator head (1) for the application of a composite tape (2) fed from a supply reel (3) to a surface for the deposition thereof; the tape (2) being formed by a layer of composite material (2.1) disposed on a supporting layer (2.2). The applicator head (1) comprises a cutting means (30), compaction means (40) and/or collection means (50). The cutting means (30) is displaced in a first direction of displacement of a first blade (31) at an angle with regard to a second direction of displacement of a second blade (32). The compaction means (40) has an application separator (41) configured to separate the layer of composite material (2.1) from the supporting layer (2.2) at a certain height from the surface for the deposition thereof. And the collection means (50) has a collection separator (52) configured to separate the unused layer of composite material (2.1) and to collect it in a collection container (53).

A method of offset load testing a tubular composite specimen with two pairs of aligned holes and having at least one defect, the method comprising: providing a testing apparatus having a pair of arms including a fixed arm and a mobile arm; securing the pair of arms using a fastener assembly in each of the two pairs of aligned holes; and moving the mobile arm to impart an offset load force to the tubular specimen. One aspect includes a method of offset load testing comprising: providing a testing apparatus having a pair of arms including a fixed arm and a mobile arm; providing a tubular composite specimen with a top portion and a bottom portion; securing the pair of arms to the top and bottom portions of the tubular composite specimen; and moving the mobile arm to impart an offset load force to the tubular composite specimen.

A method for use in ply compaction in forming a composite structure. The method includes positioning a ply of material on a forming tool having a web surface and at least one flange surface extending from the web surface, positioning a chassis at a first location along a length dimension of the forming tool, selectively rotating a flange forming device, that is coupled to the chassis, about a yaw axis based on a relative orientation of the flange forming device to the at least one flange surface, applying, with the flange forming device, the ply of material onto the forming tool, moving the chassis relative to the forming tool to position the chassis at a second location along the length dimension of the forming tool, and repeating the selective rotation and the application steps at the second location.

A fiber-reinforced resin composite sheet of the present invention contains: a polyamide resin film containing a dicarboxylic acid component (a) and a diamine component (b); and a plurality of reinforcing fibers laminated in a state of being oriented in the same direction on the polyamide resin film, the reinforcing fibers being obtained by opening a reinforcing fiber bundle. The dicarboxylic acid component (a) contains 60 mol % or more and 100 mol % or less of terephthalic acid. The diamine component (b) contains 60 mol % or more and 100 mol % or less of 1,9-nonanediamine and 2-methyl-1,8 octanediamine. The fiber-reinforced resin composite sheet has a volume content rate Vf of the reinforcing fibers of 20% or more and 70% or less and a thickness of 20 μm or more and 70 μm or less.

A fiber reinforced resin hollow molded body 30 in which a resin-integrated fiber sheet is used. The resin-integrated fiber sheet includes unidirectional continuous fibers that are spread fibers of a continuous fiber group and arrayed unidirectionally in parallel, and thermoplastic resin that is present at least on a surface of the unidirectional continuous fibers. In the hollow molded body, in a state where the resin-integrated fiber sheet or a plurality of the resin-integrated fiber sheets 30 are stacked, the resin-integrated fiber sheet or the plurality of resin-integrated fiber sheets are wound to produce a wound body having an overlapping portion. The thermoplastic resin is impregnated in the unidirectional continuous fibers. The resin-integrated fiber sheet or the plurality of resin-integrated fiber sheets are consolidated.