Importance

Loading Importance Indicators...

Abstract

A method of press molding a molding material to form a molded part of fiber-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the method comprising the steps of:

i. providing a mold tool having a lower mold part and an upper mold part, the upper mold part having a first molding surface for molding a first molded surface of the molded part and the lower mold part having a second molding surface for molding a second molded surface of the molded part;ii. providing a multilaminar panel of molding material comprising at least one layer of fibers and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces, a surface resin layer of the multilaminar panel being at or adjacent to the first major surface;iii. locating the molding material in the mold tool;iv. closing the mold tool to define a substantially closed mold cavity containing the molding material, the closing step including the sub-steps of: a. partially closing the mold tool to define a closed intermediate cavity containing the molding material, the closed intermediate cavity being larger than the molded part and the first molding surface of the upper mold part being spaced from the first major surface, the upper mold part being at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the molding material; and b. at least partially evacuating air from the closed intermediate cavity while the first molding surface of the upper mold part is spaced from the first major surface;v. applying pressure to the molding material in the mold cavity to configure the molding material in a fully molded shape; andvi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a molded part from the molding material.

Loading the Abstract Image...

First Claim