Abstract: Aircraft window assemblies and methods. The aircraft window assemblies comprise a window frame configured to support a window pane on an aircraft skin about a window aperture defined in an aircraft skin. The window frame includes a base formed of a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite and at least one overmolded feature molded to the base. The base defines a central aperture and includes circumferential flange portion configured to support the base on the aircraft skin surrounding the window aperture and a skirt portion extending inwardly from the circumferential flange portion and surrounding the central aperture. The skirt portion is non-planar with the circumferential flange portion and comprises a support surface for the window pane. The methods comprise forming the window frame, which comprises stamp-forming the base of the window frame from a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet and overmolding the at least one overmolded feature to the base.

Abstract: A method, a computing system and a computer program product are provided to efficiently define a guide that includes one or more defined sets of ordered ply orientations. In the context of a method, a plurality of stacking sequence rules are received. The method defines the guide including the one or more defined sets of ordered ply orientations in accordance with a constrained, linear integer optimization formulation. In this regard, the method defines the guide by dividing the guide into a plurality of blocks and determining a plurality of sublaminate stacks that satisfy the stacking sequence rules and that have a size limited by a size of the blocks. For each of the plurality of blocks, the method determines in accordance with the constrained, linear integer optimization formulation a sublaminate stack from among the plurality of sublaminate stacks that is compatible with a respective block.

Abstract: A beaded panel includes a base panel and a beaded panel doubler made of a first fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite. The beaded panel doubler is joined to the base panel to supplement a stiffness of the base panel.

Abstract: A system for curing a thermoset composite may include a tooling die configured to receive and support an uncured thermoset composite part and to heat the uncured thermoset composite part; a pressure media bag configured to be placed over the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die and including a pressure media; and a mechanical press configured to apply a consolidation pressure to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die, the pressure media bag may be configured to distribute the consolidation pressure applied by the mechanical press to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die.

Abstract: A beaded panel includes a base panel and a beaded panel doubler made of a first fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite. The beaded panel doubler is joined to the base panel to supplement a stiffness of the base panel.

Abstract: A beaded panel includes a base panel and a beaded panel doubler made of a first fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite. The beaded panel doubler is joined to the base panel to supplement a stiffness of the base panel.

Abstract: Pressure panel assemblies have a high-pressure side and a low-pressure side and comprise panels, one or more splicing members, and one or more beams. The panels comprise a first panel and a second panel that is positioned laterally adjacent to the first panel. Each of the first panel and the second panel have a longitudinal panel length. A first splicing member is welded to the first panel and to the second panel along the longitudinal panel length of the first and second panels. A first beam is joined directly to the first splicing member or is joined directly to the first panel and to the second panel.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising: reducing a bulk factor of chips of chopped fiber while forming the chips into a pre-consolidated charge; shaping portions of the pre-consolidated charge into shaped volumetric charges that fit within a die; and compression molding the shaped volumetric charges within the die.

Abstract: Aircraft window assemblies and methods. The aircraft window assemblies comprise a window frame configured to support a window pane on an aircraft skin about a window aperture defined in an aircraft skin. The window frame includes a base formed of a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite and at least one overmolded feature molded to the base. The base defines a central aperture and includes circumferential flange portion configured to support the base on the aircraft skin surrounding the window aperture and a skirt portion extending inwardly from the circumferential flange portion and surrounding the central aperture. The skirt portion is non-planar with the circumferential flange portion and comprises a support surface for the window pane. The methods comprise forming the window frame, which comprises stamp-forming the base of the window frame from a continuous fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite sheet and overmolding the at least one overmolded feature to the base.

Abstract: An aircraft structure and its method of construction avoids the inefficiencies involved in current methods of constructing the aircraft structure, reduces the manufacturing time required for constructing the aircraft structure and reduces the cost involved in constructing the aircraft structure. The aircraft structure and its method of construction is comprised of a geodesic or multi-grid framework of intersecting thermoplastic composite strips that are joined to an interior surface of a thermoplastic composite fuselage skin panel through overmolding/co-consolidation of the grid framework and the skin panel.

Abstract: A method of planning fiber paths for a composite ply of a composite layup includes determining a first unit vector field. The first unit vector field represents a first approximation of target directions to be followed by tow centerlines of the composite ply. The first unit vector field is determined based on a specified rosette direction, a surface approximation of a nonplanar contoured surface of an object to be formed, and a fiber angle distribution. The method also includes determining, based on specified angle deviation bounds and the first unit vector field, a second unit vector field. The second unit vector field represents a second approximation of the target directions. The second approximation has reduced in-plane curvature relative to the first approximation. The method further includes planning a fiber placement head path for forming the composite ply of the composite layup based on the second unit vector field.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a transverse tensioning system that comprises a left-side clamping assembly comprising a first left-side clamp element and a second left-side clamp element. The first left-side clamp element and the second left-side clamp element clamp down on the left edge portion of the stack of plies when the stack of plies moves in a feed direction and is shaped between opposing dies. The system also comprises a right-side clamping assembly, spaced apart from the left-side clamping assembly and comprising a first right-side clamp element and a second right-side clamp element. The first right-side clamp element and the second right-side clamp element clamp down on the right edge portion of the stack of plies when the stack of plies moves in the feed direction and is shaped between the opposing dies.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes heating a female die having a receptacle and a complementary male die, heating an extruder above a melting point of a thermoplastic within chopped prepreg fiber, in order to melt chopped prepreg fiber disposed within the extruder, extruding the chopped prepreg fiber from the extruder into the receptacle of the female die while the chopped prepreg fiber remains molten, pressing the male die into the female die, causing the molten chopped prepreg fiber to fully enter receptacle, and cooling the chopped prepreg fiber in the receptacle of the female die to form a composite part.

Abstract: An assembly includes a first mold component defining a first portion of a mold cavity and a first slot. The first slot corresponds to a first portion of a retention channel. The assembly also includes a second mold component defining a second portion of the mold cavity and a second slot. The second slot corresponds to a second portion of the retention channel. The assembly also includes a connector having a cross-sectional shape corresponding to a cross-sectional shape of the retention channel. The connector has thermal expansion characteristics that are different from thermal expansion characteristics of the first and second mold components such that when the first and second mold components are in contact and the connector is inserted into the retention channel, heating the assembly causes differential thermal expansion of the connector and the mold components resulting in a clamping force between the mold components.

Abstract: A method of planning fiber paths for a composite ply of a composite layup includes determining a first unit vector field. The first unit vector field represents a first approximation of target directions to be followed by tow centerlines of the composite ply. The first unit vector field is determined based on a specified rosette direction, a surface approximation of a nonplanar contoured surface of an object to be formed, and a fiber angle distribution. The method also includes determining, based on specified angle deviation bounds and the first unit vector field, a second unit vector field. The second unit vector field represents a second approximation of the target directions. The second approximation has reduced in-plane curvature relative to the first approximation. The method further includes planning a fiber placement head path for forming the composite ply of the composite layup based on the second unit vector field.

Abstract: A system for curing a thermoset composite may include a tooling die configured to receive and support an uncured thermoset composite part and to heat the uncured thermoset composite part; a pressure media bag configured to be placed over the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die and including a pressure media; and a mechanical press configured to apply a consolidation pressure to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die, the pressure media bag may be configured to distribute the consolidation pressure applied by the mechanical press to the uncured thermoset composite part disposed on the tooling die.

Abstract: A method, a computing system and a computer program product are provided to efficiently define a guide that includes one or more defined sets of ordered ply orientations. In the context of a method, a plurality of stacking sequence rules are received. The method defines the guide including the one or more defined sets of ordered ply orientations in accordance with a constrained, linear integer optimization formulation. In this regard, the method defines the guide by dividing the guide into a plurality of blocks and determining a plurality of sublaminate stacks that satisfy the stacking sequence rules and that have a size limited by a size of the blocks.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for optimizing designs of composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes identifying, at a controller, a candidate movement of a ply to a new ply position within a composite part, based on an objective function, loading, at the controller, stacking sequence rules that dictate how fibers are oriented across ply sequences of the composite part, and determining, at the controller, whether the candidate movement complies with the stacking sequence rules.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method that includes heating a female die having a receptacle and a complementary male die, heating an extruder above a melting point of a thermoplastic within chopped prepreg fiber, in order to melt chopped prepreg fiber disposed within the extruder, extruding the chopped prepreg fiber from the extruder into the receptacle of the female die while the chopped prepreg fiber remains molten, pressing the male die into the female die, causing the molten chopped prepreg fiber to fully enter receptacle, and cooling the chopped prepreg fiber in the receptacle of the female die to form a composite part.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for fabricating composite parts. One embodiment is a method for fabricating a composite part, the method comprising: reducing a bulk factor of chips of chopped fiber while forming the chips into a pre-consolidated charge; shaping portions of the pre-consolidated charge into shaped volumetric charges that fit within a die; and compression molding the shaped volumetric charges within the die.