Abstract: A fiber-composite sandwich-panel insert is a monolithic structure having a tubular body and a tapered head, wherein an axially aligned bore extends completely through the sandwich panel insert, the monolithic structure comprising a plurality of fibers in a resin matrix, wherein a first group of the plurality of fibers are disposed in the tubular body and have an axial alignment therein, and a second group of the plurality of fibers are disposed at least partially in the tapered head and have a spiral alignment therein.

Abstract: A compression-molding apparatus includes a sleeve plunger and a core pin. The sleeve plunger is movable through a plunger cavity that, in some embodiments, extends through the male portion of the molding apparatus. The sleeve plunger has a bore, and is received by and movable along the core pin, which typically extends upward into the plunger cavity from the female portion of the molding apparatus. In addition to any other functionality, the core pin forms a hole in a molded part. In operation, the fiber-bundle-based-preform feed constituents are placed in the plunger cavity. If any of the preforms are ring-shaped preforms, they are received by the core pin.

Abstract: A method for bonding thermoplastic fiber-composite parts comprises providing surface texture on one or both parts being bonded, and/or providing both parts with engagement features. Such surface textures and engagement features have a specific geometry and fiber alignment that facilitate fibrous interlock between the two parts at a bonding interface via in-situ consolidation.

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for producing components via additive manufacturing. In one embodiment, a three-dimensional geometry is sliced using a slicing plane to obtain a first two-dimensional geometry. A first polyline is generated based on a first skeleton of the first two-dimensional geometry, and a first slender body is generated based on the first polyline. The first slender body is subtracted from the first two-dimensional geometry to obtain a second two-dimensional geometry. A second polyline is generated based on a second skeleton of the second two-dimensional geometry. A first bundle of fibers is produced based on a segmentation of the first polyline and a second bundle of fibers is produced based on a segmentation of the second polyline. A component is produced from the first and second bundles of fibers using an additive manufacturing process.

Abstract: An eyewear frame enables lenses and/or temples to be replaced by a wearer without specialized tools and without the assistance of an eyewear professional. The eyewear frame includes one or more regions having distinct materials composition and/or one or more regions having distinct fiber alignment, in conjunction with one or more lens or temple retaining features.

Abstract: A molding method for fabricating a composite part having inserts is provided including disposing preforms in a mold, each having co-aligned, resin-impregnated fibers, placing the inserts in the mold adjacent to at least one of the preforms, wherein each insert has securement features for receiving a portion of the co-aligned resin-impregnated fibers from at least one preform, and applying heat and pressure in an amount sufficient to consolidate the resin-impregnated fibers into a resin matrix, thereby forming the part, including consolidating the fibers and resin within the securement features. A fiber composite part is also provided including continuous, co-aligned fibers within a resin matrix, and at least one insert disposed in the matrix, the insert comprising at least one securement feature having a second plurality of the fibers therein, the second plurality of fibers extending into the resin matrix and overlapping with some of the first plurality of fibers.

Abstract: A method for designing fiber-composite parts in which part performance and manufacturing efficiency can be traded-off against one another to provide an “optimized” design for a desired use case. In some embodiments, the method involves generating an idealized fiber map, wherein the orientation of fibers throughout the prospective part align with the anticipated load conditions throughout the part, and then modifying the idealized fiber map by various fabrication constraints to generate a process-compensated preform map.

Abstract: A cosmetic part is formed via compression molding in a single molding operation with no post processing by forming an assemblage of feed constituents, wherein the assemblage includes plural fiber-bundle-based preforms and one or more resin-only constituents, the latter configured and positioned as appropriate to create resin-rich cosmetic layers where desired on the part.

Abstract: A preform charge is formed by forming an assemblage of preforms, wherein preforms in the assemblage are bonded to a neighboring preform such that the preform charge effectively becomes a single unit. The preform charge can then be added to a mold to fabricate a part via compression molding.

Abstract: Methods for fabricating fiber-composite truss structures comprise a) individually molding multiple unit cells of a given size, and subsequently fusing them together in a repeating pattern, b) cross members are consolidated with longerons while maintaining continuity of fiber in the longerons, and c) compression-molded truss components are unioned to continuous fiber beams by means of mechanically interlocking joints.

Abstract: A method for forming a preform charge having a complex geometry includes determining a partitioning axis defining first and second portions the preform charge, each portion having a major segment and a minor segment that are not co-planar with each other, creating a fixture having segregable elements that form cavities for partially consolidating the major segments of the first and second portions, and a cavity for partially consolidating the minor segments, separately partially consolidating the major segments, and, while partially consolidating the major segments to one another, forming the minor segments and partially consolidating them to the major segments. And a fixture capable of carrying out the method.

Abstract: A method for improving the impact resistance of a fiber-composite part includes positioning fibers within an expected impact region of the part, wherein at least a portion of most of the positioned fibers is oriented to be within about 45 degrees of parallel to an impact vector of an impact that occurs at the impact region. At least some of the fibers in the impact region should have relatively high impact resistance, such as glass fiber or aramid fiber, and the matrix in the impact region should have relatively high impact resistance.

Abstract: A fiber-composite part having one or more electronic components that are located in arbitrary regions of the internal volume of the part are fabricated using a preform charge. The preform charge has a structure that corresponds to that of the mold cavity in which the part is being formed. By incorporating the electronic components in the preform charge, such components are then precisely located, spatially oriented, and constrained, and such location and orientation is maintained during molding to produce a part with the electronic components in the desired locations and orientations within its internal volume.

Abstract: Fiber-composite parts that incorporate a very thin electrical circuit, and a method for making the parts via compression molding, are disclosed. The electrical circuit is encapsulated by a film having a melting point that exceeds the maximum temperature to which the film is exposed during compression molding. The electrical circuit is disposed in a composite ply, in a lay-up of composite plies, and electrical leads are routed through the composite plies so that the lead are accessible in the molded fiber-composite part.

Abstract: A hybrid preform comprises a bundle of unidirectionally aligned fibers, and at least one partial cut that extends part of the way, but not all of the way, through a transverse cross section of the bundle of fibers at least one location along the length of the bundle.

Abstract: Method and apparatus for splaying fibers for the forming preform charges for the production of composite discs, and for the production of composite disc, wherein rotary compaction is applied to an appropriately arranged assemblage of preforms.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the continuous fabrication of fiber-bundle-based and composite-tape based preforms and preform charges includes a mandrel about which a constituent material, which is maintained under tension, is wound. The tension is insufficient to fully consolidate the wound material.

Abstract: Non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle includes localized regions of fibers having a sub-nominal amount of polymer resin positioned along its length. These regions function as “bending regions,” where the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle can be readily deformed by virtue of the reduced amount of resin. The bending regions segregate the non-standard resin-infused fiber bundle into what is, effectively, discrete (smaller) segments of (standard) resin-infused fiber bundle. The ability to easily manipulate the non-standard, resin-infused fiber bundle via the bending regions is useful for creating fiber-bundle-based preforms, and preform charges (assemblages of fiber-bundle-based preforms).

Abstract: A system and methods are disclosed for producing compression-molded components having one or more desired characteristics with respect to one or more objectives. In accordance with one embodiment, a parameter space comprising a set of values of a parameter is defined, where the parameter corresponds to a property of fiber bundles, and where the set of values represents all possible values of the parameter in the parameter space. The parameter space is narrowed, and a statistical model is generated based on a sampling of the narrowed parameter space. A value of the parameter is selected based on the statistical model, and a bundle of fibers conforming to the selected value is produced. A component comprising the bundle of fibers is then manufactured using a compression-molding process.

Abstract: A compression molding method for creating fine, features having desired fiber-alignment patterns involves creating a pressure gradient in a mold cavity during the soak phase of the compression-molding process. In the illustrative embodiment, the gradient is created by movement of a structure, and results in a flow of nearby fiber and melted resin. This alters local, preexisting, non-random fiber alignments. The process imparts geometries to a part (the bulging features) that are not otherwise present on the mold surface.