Method for manufacturing fiber reinforced article and apparatus

A method of forming a fiber reinforced article comprising:

• loading a composite preform inside a radial molding apparatus comprising at least three die segments at least partly forming a mold cavity having an initial volume in an initial position of the at least three die segments, adjacent ones of the at least three die segments being in direct contact in the initial position, the composite preform comprising a thermoplastic polymer matrix and a plurality of reinforcing fibers, and the composite preform having an initial volume and the plurality of reinforcing fibers having an initial fiber orientation;
• molding the composite preform by moving the at least three die segments in a first direction perpendicularly to a common longitudinal axis of the composite preform from the initial position to a compressed position such that the initial volume of the mold cavity decreases and the die segments compress the composite preform to a form at least partly defined by the mold cavity in the compressed position of the at least three die segments, the at least three die segments remaining in direct contact with each other while moving from the initial position to the compressed position and when in the compressed position, wherein the mold cavity in the compressed position of the at least three die segments has a final volume that is smaller than or equal to the initial volume of the composite preform,
• before the at least three die segments are moved from the initial position or after the at least three die segments are moved to the compressed position, sliding at least one piston towards the composite preform inside the mold cavity along the common longitudinal axis of the composite preform to compress the composite preform and seal at least one end of the mold cavity,
• opening the mold cavity by moving the at least three die segments in a second direction opposite the first direction, and
• removing the fiber reinforced article from the mold cavity, the fiber reinforced article comprising a final fiber orientation different from the initial fiber orientation and in which the plurality of reinforcing fibers at least partly follow a surface contour of the fiber reinforced article.