Apparatus for molding composite materials

An apparatus intended to form and compact a composite (C) provided with a matrix, said apparatus comprising:

• two flexible stretchable membranes (G, F) able to contain the composite (C) while being adherent or not to the composite (C) and to hold it on a forming mould (A) during the polymerisation of the matrix, the mould (A) consisting of one or more materials resistant under compression to the pressure applied by the membrane (F) to the composite (C),
• a chassis (B) holding the two membranes (G, F) and the mould (A) at their periphery and relative to each other,
• a top chamber (E) and means of varying the pressure of the fluids in the top chamber (E),
• a bottom chamber (D) and means of regulating the pressure of the fluids in the chamber (D) so as to vary the pressure of a fluid on the bottom surface of the mould (A) and consequently to control the deformation of the mould (A) while the pressure of a fluid varies in the top chamber (E),
• and in which the mould (A) is held at the periphery relative to the chassis (B) and is porous at least on the surface on which the composite (C) is able to be conformed, in order to eliminate any fluid contained between the mould (A) and the membrane (G) by pressure gradient when the composite (C) is formed on the surface of the mould (A).