Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Continental Structural Plastics, Inc.

Terrence Wathen

Venkateshwar R Aitharaju

William R Rodgers

Hamid Ghavami Kia

Selina X Zhao

Mark A Buffa

Harry A Mitchell

Dorel M Sala

John Neal Owens

Erik B Golm

Mark A Voss

Bhavesh Shah

Alexander Millerman

Peter H Foss

Sheila Farrokhalaee Kia

Yutaka Yagi

Joseph Clifford Simmer

Andrew J Galant

Princess Len Carlos

Ritesh Dixit

The present application discloses a method of making a preform for use in manufacturing a component made of a composite material. The method includes stitching fibers onto a film to form a fiber bed in a two-dimensional shape, removing the film from the fiber bed, and adjusting the fiber bed into a three-dimensional shape to form the preform.

System and method of forming a fiber preform for use in manufacturing a component made of a composite material

A reinforced composite assembly includes a first sheet made of carbon fiber and having a first perimeter, a second sheet made of a non-carbon fiber material and having a second perimeter, wherein the second sheet is disposed atop the first sheet within the first perimeter, and a metallic plate having a third perimeter, wherein the metallic plate is disposed atop the second sheet within the second perimeter. The metallic plate has a plurality of holes formed therein about a perimeter of the metallic plate and defining a plurality of respective bridge portions between each of the holes and an adjacent outer edge of the metallic plate, and/or a plurality of extensions extending outward from a main portion of the metallic plate. A first arrangement of thread stitching secures each of the bridge portions and extensions to the second sheet or to the first and second sheets.

Reinforced composite assemblies and methods of manufacturing the same

A mold for molding a composite preform that has an outer edge thereabout and a plurality of tethers each attached at respective opposed ends thereof to the outer edge. The mold includes first and second mold halves defining a mold body and being configured to transition between an open position and a generally closed position, and a plurality of moveable members each having a moveable gage pin configured for being wrapped thereabout by a respective one of the tethers and a respective actuator configured for moving the moveable gage pin between a respective first position in which the respective moveable gage pin is disposed at a respective first distance from a center of the mold body and a respective second position in which the respective moveable gage pin is disposed at a respective second distance from the center of the mold body that is less than the first distance.

Mold for forming composite preforms with high precision

A composite panel for a vehicle includes a plurality of layers bonded together by resin. A sensing assembly is arranged between at least two of the plurality of layers. The sensing assembly includes at least one of a piezoelectric layer to sense vibration of the composite panel when installed on the vehicle and a thermopile configured to sense changes in temperature of the composite panel when installed on the vehicle. The sensing assembly further includes a transmitter configured to transmit data to the vehicle based on an output of the at least one of the piezoelectric layer and the thermopile.

Composite panel with a wireless, self-powered or remotely powered sensing assembly

A method of manufacturing a composite component according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes disposing a fiber preform in a mold. The fiber preform includes a first portion having a first edge and a second portion having a second edge. The first edge and the second edge cooperate to at least partially define a gap. One of the first portion or the second portion includes a first ferromagnetic material and the other of the first portion or the second portion includes a first magnetic or magnetizable component. The method further includes closing the gap by generating a magnetic field from the first magnetic or magnetizable component. The method further includes injecting a polymer precursor into the mold. The method further includes forming the composite component by solidifying the polymer precursor to form a polymer. The composite component includes the fiber preform and the polymer.

Composite components and methods of manufacturing composite components using magnetic forces at fiber preform seams

A method is provided for forming a near-net thermoplastic composite component includes co-spraying a mixture comprising a thermoplastic polymer material and a chopped reinforcing material deposited onto at least one region associated with a tool having a first temperature and defining a near-net component shape. The mixture and adjacent tool is heated to a second temperature while the mixture is on the tool. The first temperature is below the solidification temperature of the thermoplastic polymer material and the second temperature is above the solidification temperature. Then, the mixture is exposed to a negative pressure to promote removal of gases from the mixture and put under compressive force to densify the mixture. The thermoplastic polymer material melts and flows. The tool is cooled to the first temperature and removing the mixture to form the near-net thermoplastic composite component having randomly oriented chopped reinforcement material distributed within a thermoplastic polymer matrix.

Methods of forming near-net fiber reinforced thermoplastic composite components

An energy-absorbing assembly includes a housing and a plurality of discrete energy-absorbing elements. The housing includes a first wall and a second wall. The first wall and the second wall are spaced apart from one another to at least partially define an interior compartment. Each element of the plurality of energy-absorbing elements includes a polymer and a plurality of reinforcing fibers. The plurality of energy-absorbing elements is at least partially disposed within the interior compartment and fixed to the housing. Each energy-absorbing element of the plurality of energy-absorbing elements includes an elongated hollow structure extending between a first end and a second end. Each elongated hollow structure defines a longitudinal axis extending nonparallel to at least one of the first wall and the second wall. In various alternative aspects, each energy-absorbing element may include a transverse wall.

Composite energy-absorbing assembly

Composite articles are prepared by a spray up operation. In a first step, a gel coat is applied onto a mold surface which has been optionally pretreated with a mold release coating. Next, a barrier coat is applied over the gel coat in the mold and thereafter a laminate formula is applied over the barrier coat. The laminate contains from 40-80% by weight paste and from 20-60% by weight reinforcing fibers. In a preferred embodiment, the paste comprises 90% or more by weight resin, up to 5% filler, and an initiator composition capable of initiating cure at a temperature of 50&#xb0; C. or lower. In a preferred embodiment, the multilayer composite has a thickness of about 15 mm or less, and is useful as an automobile body panel. The laminate preferably comprises a low shrink, low density glass fiber filled polyester resin. In a preferred embodiment, the paste of the laminate contains a dicyclopentadiene unsaturated polyester resin, polymeric hollow microspheres, and an initiator capable of initiating curing at room temperature or at temperature of 50&#xb0; C. or less.

Low shrink low density laminate formulation

A multilayer composite contains a gel coat layer, a laminate layer, and a barrier layer disposed between the gel coat and the laminate layer. The laminate contains from 40&#x2013;80% by weight paste and from 20&#x2013;60% by weight reinforcing fibers. The barrier coat also comprises a cured polyester resin, and contains reinforcing fibers shorter than those in the laminate layer. The barrier layer has sufficient flexibility to avoid cracking during demolding and handling. Preferably, the barrier layer exhibits an elongation at break of more than 1%, and more preferably about 2% or more. The resin of the barrier layer can contain up to about 25% by weight of the resin of an isophthalic acid based polyester resin. The composites can be made using an open tool molding process.

Barrier coat for open tool molding

A molding process for a composite article uses a textured film layer to shape the surface of the composite article. The film layer is placed in the mold with the textured film surface exposed and a composite material is placed over the textured film surface. Preferably, the film layer is vacuum-formed onto the mold to take the shape of the mold. As it cures, the composite article takes the shape of the textured film layer to form a textured article surface. After demolding, the film layer adheres to the article as a protective coating, but can be readily removed from the article to expose an underlying textured surface of the article.

Method of forming a composite article with a textured surface

A molding process that uses a textured interfacial layer to isolate the surface of a mold from the surface of a composite article produced with the mold. A solution is deposited on the mold surface to form the interfacial layer, whose surface opposite the mold is textured. The texture of the interfacial layer is then transferred to the surface of the composite article produced with the mold. After demolding, the interfacial layer adheres to the article as a protective coating, but can be readily removed from the article to expose an underlying textured surface of the article.

Growing community of inventors

Sterling Heights, MI, United States of America

Terrence Wathen