Abstract: Systems, methods, and vacuum chucks for transferring flexible elongate bodies are disclosed herein. The vacuum chucks include an elongate rigid support, a vertically oriented vacuum surface, a vacuum manifold, and a skirt seal. The systems include an elongate horizontal support structure, a transfer structure, a plurality of vertical linkages, which are operatively attached to the elongate horizontal support structure, and a plurality of vacuum chucks. Each of the plurality of vacuum chucks is operatively attached to a respective one of the plurality of vertical linkages. The methods include suspending an elongate horizontal support structure with a transfer structure, aligning each of a plurality of vacuum chucks with a respective portion of a vertical surface of a flexible elongate body, selectively actuating each of the plurality of vacuum chucks to retain the respective portion of the vertical surface of the flexible elongate body, and lifting the flexible elongate body.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and vacuum chucks for transferring flexible elongate bodies are disclosed herein. The vacuum chucks include an elongate rigid support, a vertically oriented vacuum surface, a vacuum manifold, and a skirt seal. The systems include an elongate horizontal support structure, a transfer structure, a plurality of vertical linkages, which are operatively attached to the elongate horizontal support structure, and a plurality of vacuum chucks. Each of the plurality of vacuum chucks is operatively attached to a respective one of the plurality of vertical linkages. The methods include suspending an elongate horizontal support structure with a transfer structure, aligning each of a plurality of vacuum chucks with a respective portion of a vertical surface of a flexible elongate body, selectively actuating each of the plurality of vacuum chucks to retain the respective portion of the vertical surface of the flexible elongate body, and lifting the flexible elongate body.

Abstract: Roughened tool surfaces for thermoset composite layups and systems and methods including the same are disclosed herein. The systems include a first tool that includes a first tool body that defines the roughened tool surface and a second tool that defines a second tool surface. The roughened tool surface is shaped to receive and to form a plurality of plies of composite thermoset composite material, which defines a thermoset composite layup. A roughness of the roughened tool surface is within a predefined roughness range. The second tool surface is configured to receive a plurality of discrete thermoset composite layups and to be heated with the plurality of discrete thermoset composite layups to cure the plurality of discrete thermoset composite layups and define a thermoset composite structure. The methods include methods of forming the thermoset composite structure utilizing the first tool and the second tool.