Moulding arrangement

A method for forming a composite component, the method comprising:

• providing a first mould tool and a second mould tool, the first and second mould tools being configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between them, and the second mould tool having a moulding surface defined by at least two demountable mould bodies;
• attaching the first mould tool to a press at a first workstation;
• subsequently, at a second workstation spaced from the first workstation, loading at least part of the second mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation, wherein during the said loading step the demountable mould bodies of the second tool are demounted from each other by being brought out of mutual sealing engagement;
• moving the second mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool, wherein the demountable bodies of the second mould tool are fixed in relative position to be in mutual sealing engagement during the moving of the second mould tool;
• causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and second tools to bring the first and second tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween;
• setting in shape the reinforcement material located in the mould cavity;
• providing a third mould tool configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between it and the first mould tool;
• at a third workstation spaced from the first and second workstations, loading the third mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation and the second mould tool is located at the first workstation;
• and
• whilst the second mould tool is absent from the first workstation:
• (i) moving the third mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool;
• (ii) causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and third mould tools to bring the first and third tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween;
• (iii) injecting a matrix material into that mould cavity;
• and
• (iv) solidifying the matrix material.

A method for forming a composite component, the method comprising:

• providing a first mould tool and a second mould tool, the first and second mould tools being configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between them, and the second mould tool having a moulding surface defined by at least two demountable mould bodies;
• attaching the first mould tool to a press at a first workstation;
• subsequently, at a second workstation spaced from the first workstation, whilst the demountable mould bodies of the second tool are demounted from each other by being brought out of mutual sealing engagement, loading one of the demountable mould bodies of the second mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation;
• after the said step of loading at least part of the second mould tool with reinforcement material, assembling the at least two demountable mould bodies to bring the demountable mould bodies into mutual sealing engagement;
• moving the second mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool, wherein the demountable bodies of the second mould tool are fixed in relative position to be in mutual sealing engagement during the moving of the second mould tool;
• causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and second tools to bring the first and second tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween, the mould cavity having a surface that is defined at least in part by the moulding surface;
• and
• setting in shape the reinforcement material located in the mould cavity;
• providing a third mould tool configured so as to be capable of defining at least part of a mould cavity between it and the first mould tool;
• at the second workstation, loading the third mould tool with reinforcement material whilst the first mould tool remains attached to the press at the first workstation and the second mould tool is located at a third workstation spaced from the first and second workstations;
• and
• whilst the second mould tool is absent from the first workstation:
• (i) moving the third mould tool to the press at the first workstation in such a position as to confront the first mould tool;
• (ii) causing the press to effect relative movement of the first and third mould tools to bring the first and third tools into mating arrangement so as to define a mould cavity therebetween;
• (iii) injecting a matrix material into that mould cavity;
• and
• (iv) solidifying the matrix material.