Importance

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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 dry fibers and at least one layer of resin, the multilaminar panel having first and second opposite major surfaces;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 a compression stage, in which the first molding surface contacts the first major surface and the second molding surface contacts the second major surface, the compression stage compressing the molding material to cause progressive resin impregnation of the dry fibers without increasing the resin pressure to a minimum threshold value to cause excessive resin bleed out from the cavity, optionally to reduce any resin bleed out to no more than 600 grams of resin per square meter of the molding material;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.

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First Claim