Abstract: An automobile bumper comprises a bumper face and a bumper beam constructed of members molded of thermoplastic resin. The bumper beam includes at least two members of thermoplastic resin having flanges for forming beam flanges together when the members are fused to each other, the beam flanges being fused to an inner surface of the bumper face. An FRP sheet is continuously heated in an atmosphere having a temperature successively lowered from a temperature higher than a resin melting temperature at which a resin of the FRP sheet is melted so that the entire FRP sheet is increased through successive heating stages to a temperature between the resin melting temperature and a resin degradation temperature at which the resin of the FRP sheet is degraded.

Abstract: A method of non-destructive inspection for resinous automotive bumper beams provides for applying a flexural load to the center of a bumper beam by a pressing jig in a state where both ends of the bumper beam have been pivotably supported to gradually bend the bumper beam, measuring or determining the bending strain and energy absorption of the bumper beam upon the application of the flexural load, said energy absorption being calculated from said bending strain and flexural load, and judging the bumper beam to be good in quality only when the energy absorption of the bumper beam reaches at least a control value of the energy absorption, which is set up in advance, in a state that the bending strain of the bumper beam is at most a control value of the bending strain, which is set up in advance. The control value of the energy absorption is determined by correcting the value of energy absorption upon destruction of a bumper beam, which has been found in a standard destructive test.

Abstract: An automobile bumper comprises a bumper face and a bumper beam constructed of members molded of thermoplastic resin. The bumper beam includes at least two members of thermoplastic resin having flanges for forming beam flanges together when the members are fused to each other, the beam flanges being fused to an inner surface of the bumper face. An FRP sheet is continuously heated in an atmosphere having a temperature successively lowered from a temperature higher than a resin melting temperature at which a resin of the FRP sheet is melted so that the entire FRP sheet is increased through successive heating stages to a temperature between the resin melting temperature and a resin degradation temperature at which the resin of the FRP sheet is degraded.

Abstract: A plurality of thermoplastic sheets are laminated into a laminated assembly, which is then pressed into a laminated assembly. First, the sheets to be laminated in one cycle are heated while the sheets are arranged in a juxtaposed relationship in the order in which they are to be laminated. The heated sheets are penetrated with needles to detachably hold the sheets while keeping the sheets in the juxtaposed relationship. A support member which supports the laminated assembly is moved below the sheets held and relatively to the sheets in a direction in which the sheets are arranged in the juxtaposed relationship, the sheets are released from the needles onto the support member to stack the sheets thereon into the laminated assembly while the support member is being moved relatively to the sheets. The support is then delivered into a shaping die assembly.