# US 10,118,349 B2 · Press moulding method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,118,349 B2 - Document ID: US10118349B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/404,655 - Filed: 2013-05-30 - Published: 2015-05-28 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2012-05-30 - Assignees: Gurit (UK) Ltd. - Applicants: Gurit (UK) Ltd. - Inventors: Daniel Thomas Jones; Stephen Patrick Main; Martin James Starkey; Peter Jennings; Gregory Aratoon - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10118349B2 ## CPC - B29C 70/465: {and impregnating by melting a solid material, e.g. sheets, powders of fibres} - B29C 43/00: Compression moulding, i.e. applying external pressure to flow the moulding material; Apparatus therefor {(by liberation of internal stresses B29C61/006)} - B29C 43/18: incorporating preformed parts or layers, e.g. compression moulding around inserts or for coating articles {(B29C43/206 takes precedence)} - B29C 43/203: {Making multilayered articles} - B29C 70/08: comprising combinations of different forms of fibrous reinforcements incorporated in matrix material, forming one or more layers, and with or without non-reinforced layers - B29C 70/086: {and with one or more layers of pure plastics material, e.g. foam layers (applying a non-preformed coating, e.g. a gel-coat, B29C37/0025; with foam blocks B29C70/86)} - B29C 70/345: {using matched moulds} - B29C 70/443: {and impregnating by vacuum or injection} - B29C 70/46: using matched moulds, e.g. for deforming sheet moulding compounds [SMC] or prepregs - B29C 70/467: {and impregnating the reinforcements during mould closing (B29C70/465 takes precedence)} - B29C 70/66: the filler comprising hollow constituents, e.g. syntactic foam - B29C 43/20: Making multilayered or multicoloured articles {(B29C43/14 takes precedence)} - B29C 2043/563: {combined with mechanical pressure, i.e. mould plates, rams, stampers} - B29K 2063/00: Use of {EP, i.e.} epoxy resins {or derivatives thereof}, as moulding material - B29K 2105/0872: {Prepregs} - B29K 2105/0881: {unidirectional} - B29K 2307/04: Carbon - B29K 2309/08: Glass - B29L 2009/00: Layered products - B29L 2031/3005: {Body finishings} - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS - B29L: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASS B29C, RELATING TO PARTICULAR ARTICLES ## Abstract A method of press molding a molding material to form a vehicle body panel of fiber-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface and a rear B-surface, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a heated mold tool having a lower mold part and an upper mold part, the upper mold part having a first molding surface for molding a front A-surface of the vehicle body panel and the lower mold part having a second molding surface for molding a rear B-surface of the vehicle body panel; 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; v. applying pressure to the molding material in the mold cavity to configure the molding material in a fully molded shape; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a vehicle body panel from the molding material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface formed from the first major surface and a rear B-surface formed from the second major surface. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a vehicle body panel of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface and a rear B-surface, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a heated mould tool having a lower mould part and an upper mould part, the upper mould part having a first moulding surface for moulding a front A-surface of the vehicle body panel and the lower mould part having a second moulding surface for moulding a rear B-surface of the vehicle body panel; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material comprising at least one layer of fibres 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 and a dry fibre layer of the multilaminar panel forming the second major surface; iii. locating the moulding material in the mould tool, wherein in the locating step iii the second major surface is draped onto the second moulding surface of the lower mould part, and the lower mould part is at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material; iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material, wherein closing step iv includes the sub-steps of: a. partially closing the mould tool to define a closed intermediate cavity containing the moulding material, the closed intermediate cavity being larger than the moulded part and the first moulding surface of the upper mould part being spaced from the first major surface by a spacing distance, the upper mould part being at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material; and b. at least partially evacuating air from the closed intermediate cavity at least while the first moulding surface of the upper mould part is spaced from the first major surface; v. applying pressure to the moulding material in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material in a fully moulded shape, wherein after the applying pressure step v, resin in the multilaminar panel fully impregnates the dry fibres; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a vehicle body panel from the moulding material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface formed from the first major surface and a rear B-surface formed from the second major surface. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein prior to the closing step iv the lower and upper mould parts are initially separate, and at an end of a preliminary closing phase in the closing step iv the lower and upper mould parts are mutually engaged to define an initial cavity containing the moulding material. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein at the end of the preliminary closing phase a vacuum seal is engaged between the lower mould part and the upper mould part. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3 wherein the vacuum seal is engaged when the first moulding surface of the upper mould part is spaced from the first major surface by a distance of from 10 to 100 mm. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein after the initial cavity has been formed the mould tool is continuously closed to form the substantially closed mould cavity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) A method according to claim 2 wherein after the initial cavity has been formed the mould tool is discontinuously closed, there being a dwell period at the spacing distance. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulding material comprises a dry fibre layer and the closing step iv comprises progressively closing the mould tool, the closing step including: a first stage prior to both the first moulding surface contacting the first major surface and the second moulding surface contacting the second major surface and a second compression stage after both the first moulding surface has contacted the first major surface and the second moulding surface has contacted the second major surface, the second compression stage causing resin impregnation of the dry fibre layer, the closure speed of relative movement between the lower and upper mould parts being higher in the first stage than in the second compression stage. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A method according to claim 7 wherein in the second compression stage the closure speed is controlled so as to cause impregnation of the dry fibre layer by the resin without 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 moulding material. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in the applying pressure step v the pressure is applied by gradually increasing the pressure. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of: vii. separating the upper and lower mould parts; and viii. removing the moulded part from the mould tool. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A method according to claim 10 wherein the method includes successive moulding cycles for moulding successive moulded parts and the locating step iii of a later cycle directly follows a removing step viii of an earlier cycle. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A method according to claim 11 wherein in the locating step iii of the later cycle the mould tool is at a temperature which is within +/−10° C. of the mould tool temperature during removing step viii of the earlier cycle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein a vacuum pressure is applied during the closing step iv and the pressure applying step v. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method according to claim 13 wherein the vacuum pressure is released during the curing step vi. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulding material further comprises a syntactic layer comprising a polymer matrix and a plurality of hollow particles distributed within the polymer matrix. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein the syntactic layer is a core layer between first and second dry fibre layers. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) A method according to claim 15 wherein in locating step iii the moulding material drapes by bending about a neutral axis substantially centrally located with respect to the thickness of the moulding material, the neutral axis being located within the syntactic layer. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the resin comprises a thermosetting resin, optionally an epoxy resin. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in locating step iii the moulding material is heated to cause the viscosity of the resin initially to decrease as a result of an increase in resin temperature and then to increase as a result of initiation of curing prior to step vi. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein locating step iii to curing step vi are carried out at an elevated temperature above the curing temperature of the resin. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in locating step iii a reduced pressure is applied to the mould cavity to increase the drape of the moulding material. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in the moulding material a layer of carbon fibres is adjacent to a respective layer of resin. ### Claim 23 (depends on 22) A method according to claim 22 wherein the moulding material comprises a syntactic core layer between a first carbon fibre layer and a second dry glass fibre layer defining the second major surface, each fibre layer being adjacent to a layer of resin. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) A method according to claim 23 wherein the surface resin layer is on the first major surface of the moulding material and is adjacent to the first carbon fibre layer. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulding material comprises the surface resin layer, a syntactic core layer, a carbon fibre layer and a first resin layer between the surface resin layer and the syntactic core layer, a dry glass fibre layer defining the second major surface, and a second resin layer between the syntactic core layer and the dry glass fibre layer. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the first moulding surface faces substantially downwardly and the second moulding surface faces substantially upwardly. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulding material located in the mould tool in the locating step iii has a greater thickness than the moulded part and the closing step iv compresses the moulding material in the substantially closed mould cavity prior to the applying pressure step v. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in the moulding material the at least one layer of resin comprises thermosetting resin and the at least one layer of fibres comprises a woven fabric of carbon or glass fibres optionally at least one or each woven fabric being substantially unimpregnated with any resin. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein in the moulding material at least one layer of resin is adjacent to at least one layer of fibres, optionally at least one or each layer of fibres being substantially unimpregnated with any resin. ### Claim 30 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1 wherein the moulding material does not comprise a sheet moulding compound (SMC). ### Claim 31 A method of press moulding a moulding material to form a vehicle body panel of fibre-reinforced resin matrix composite material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface and a rear B-surface, the method comprising the steps of: i. providing a heated mould tool having a lower mould part and an upper mould part, the upper mould part having a first moulding surface for moulding a front A-surface of the vehicle body panel and the lower mould part having a second moulding surface for moulding a rear B-surface of the vehicle body panel; ii. providing a multilaminar panel of moulding material comprising at least one layer of fibres 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 and a dry fibre layer of the multilaminar panel forming the second major surface; iii. locating the moulding material in the mould tool, wherein in the locating step iii the second major surface is draped onto the second moulding surface of the lower mould part, and the lower mould part is at an elevated temperature as compared to the temperature of the moulding material; iv. closing the mould tool to define a substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material, wherein the closing step iv comprises progressively closing the mould tool to define the substantially closed mould cavity containing the moulding material, the closing step including: a preliminary closing phase to achieve mutual engagement between the lower and upper mould parts, a secondary closing phase after engagement between the lower and upper mould parts with the mould tool partially closed to define a closed intermediate cavity containing the moulding material, the closed intermediate cavity being larger than the moulded part and the first moulding surface of the upper mould part being spaced from the first major surface by a spacing distance, in the secondary phase air being at least partially evacuated from the closed intermediate cavity while the first moulding surface of the upper mould part is spaced from the first major surface to provide a vacuum pressure, and a tertiary closing phase after the vacuum pressure has been provided in the closed intermediate cavity, the tertiary phase having: I. a first stage prior to both the first moulding surface contacting the first major surface and the second moulding surface contacting the second major surface, and a second compression stage after both the first moulding surface has contacted the first major surface and the second moulding surface has contacted the second major surface, the closure speed of relative movement between the lower and upper mould parts being higher in the first stage than in the second compression stage; v. applying pressure to the moulding material in the mould cavity to configure the moulding material in a fully moulded shape, wherein after the applying pressure step v, resin in the multilaminar panel fully impregnates the dry fibres; and vi. substantially fully curing the resin to form a vehicle body panel from the moulding material, the vehicle body panel having a front A-surface formed from the first major surface and a rear B-surface formed from the second major surface.