System and method for resin infusion

A system for infusion of a fiber containing preform with a resin, said system comprising:

• a) a mould base portion adapted to support said preform;
• b) a mould closure portion adapted to overlie said mould base portion in sealable relation to define a mould chamber containing said preform within;
• c) one or more resin supply port means in fluid communication with said mould chamber for guiding said resin into said mould chamber for said infusion;
• d) one or more resin pumps in fluid communication with said one or more resin supply port means and adapted to inject said resin into said one or more resin supply port means at a variable volumetric rate;
• e) a variable vacuum means adapted to create and vary a vacuum;
• f) one or more vacuum port means in fluid communication with said mould chamber and said variable vacuum means and adapted to impose said vacuum upon said mould chamber;
• g) one or more sensing means attached to one or more of said mould base portion and said mould closure portion for monitoring one or more flow characteristics of said resin within said mould chamber;
• and
• h) a control means responsive to said sensing means and operatively connected to said resin pumps and to said variable vacuum means for varying the flow of said resin within said mould chamber by varying one or more of said variable volumetric rate and said vacuum to effect infusion of said preform.