System and method for gas bleed lines in composite part molding operations

An apparatus for molding a composite material comprising:

• a plurality of mold pieces that cooperate to form a mold having a mold cavity for molding a composite tube, the mold comprising:
• an outer surface;
• an upper mold portion that defines an upper portion of the mold cavity, the upper mold portion having a lower face;
• a lower mold portion that defines a lower portion of the mold cavity, the lower mold portion having an upper face adjacent to and that faces the lower face of the upper mold portion;
• and an inner molding surface defining a plurality of upper inside corners at the upper portion of the mold cavity and an inside corner between the upper portion of the mold cavity and the lower portion, the plurality of mold pieces split along a plurality of part lines configured to reduce voiding, the plurality of part lines comprising part lines running from the plurality of upper inside corners to the outer surface of the mold and a part line running between the lower face of the upper mold portion and the upper face of the lower mold portion from the inside corner between the upper portion of the mold cavity and the lower portion of the mold cavity to the outer surface of the mold, the plurality of mold pieces adapted to separate during molding at the plurality of part lines and the plurality of part lines adapted to provide bleed lines for a plurality of voiding areas of the mold cavity;
• wherein the mold cavity is curved along a long axis of the mold cavity from a first end of the mold cavity to a second end of the mold cavity;
• wherein the inside corner between the upper portion of the mold cavity and the lower portion of the mold cavity has a curvature parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity;
• wherein the plurality of upper inside corners comprises:
• a first upper inside corner that has a curvature parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity;
• a second upper inside corner that has a curvature parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity;
• wherein the plurality of part lines comprises:
• a first part line running from the first upper inside corner to the outer surface of the mold and adapted to provide a bleed line for the first upper inside corner, wherein the first part line follows the curvature of the first upper inside corner parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity;
• a second part line running from the second upper inside corner from the plurality of upper inside corners to the outer surface of the mold and adapted to provide a bleed line for the second upper inside corner, wherein the second part line follows the curvature of the second upper inside corner parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity;
• and a third part line running from the inside corner between the upper portion of the mold cavity and the lower portion of the mold cavity to the outer surface of the mold, wherein the third part line follows the curvature of the inside corner between the upper portion of the mold cavity and the lower portion parallel to the long axis of the mold cavity from the first end of the mold cavity to the second end of the mold cavity.