Mold tools with anisotropic thermal properties and aligned carbon-reinforced thermoplastic fibres

An apparatus, comprising:

• a mold configured to manufacture a composite structure at a heated temperature, wherein the mold comprises:
• a first mold tool configured to mold a first portion of the composite structure, wherein the first mold tool comprises:
• a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands;
• and
• an anisotropic thermal expansion property, wherein the anisotropic thermal expansion property is based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the first mold tool;
• and
• a second mold tool configured to mold a second portion of the composite structure;
• wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion for a width dimension of the second mold line tool is lower than the coefficient of thermal expansion for the width dimension of the first mold line tool.

An apparatus, comprising:

• a mold configured to manufacture a composite structure at a heated temperature, wherein the mold comprises:
• a first mold tool configured to mold a first portion of the composite structure, wherein the first mold tool comprises:
• a plurality of strands of a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material, wherein the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic material comprises a thermoplastic embedded with a plurality of reinforcement fibers, wherein the plurality of reinforcement fibers is aligned within each strand of the plurality of strands;
• and
• an anisotropic thermal expansion property, wherein the anisotropic thermal expansion property is based on an orientation of the plurality of reinforcement fibers within the first mold tool;
• and
• a second mold tool configured to mold a second portion of the composite structure;
• wherein the first mold tool comprises an inner mold line tool for shaping an inner mold line of the composite structure and the second mold tool comprises an outer mold line tool for shaping an outer mold line of the composite structure opposite the inner mold line of the composite structure;
• wherein the inner mold line tool comprises a first coefficient of thermal expansion for a length dimension of the inner mold line tool and a second coefficient of thermal expansion for a width dimension of the inner mold line tool and the first coefficient of thermal expansion is lower than the second coefficient of thermal expansion;
• and
• wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion for a width dimension of the second mold line tool is lower than the coefficient of thermal expansion for the width dimension of the first mold line tool.