Monolithic molded fan components and method for their manufacture

A method for making a fan blade or fan component of composite material including a permanent core and a fiber reinforced resin material, the method comprising:

• placing a plurality of reinforcing fiber fabric layers comprising oriented fiber fabrics on a bottom part of a mold in a shape of said fan blade or fan component,
• placing a permanent core on said plurality of reinforcing fiber fabric layers in said bottom part of said mold, said permanent core having a shape that approximates a shape of said fan blade or fan component;
• wherein said permanent core includes on its surface a resin inlet channel in fluid communication with a network of interconnected distribution channels in a grid pattern, said resin inlet channel having a limited length and a cross-sectional area that is greater than a cross-sectional area of said distribution channels,
• folding a remaining portion of said plurality of the reinforcing fabric layers over exposed portions of said permanent core to form a reinforcing fiber fabric-enveloped permanent core;
• closing said mold over said reinforcing fiber fabric enveloped permanent core to form a mold cavity between a surface of said permanent core and an interior surface of said mold;
• infusing a resin into an opening of said mold in communication with said resin inlet channel and allowing said resin to fill an entirety of said network of interconnected distribution channels, saturating the plurality of reinforcing fiber fabric layers and filling all voids;
• allowing said resin to cure, and
• releasing said fan blade or fan component including said permanent core from said closed mold;
• and
• wherein said permanent core is not removed from said fan blade or fan component prior to use.